Whole again
by durararaaa
Summary: Set after Brisingr. Eragon is angry at his weakness when compared to those he must defeat to find peace. NOTE - This is officialy declared on hiatus for now. More info on my profile. Sorry :
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

It has been three days since Oromis and Glaedr were struck down by Murtagh under the control of Galbatorix and Eragon had continuously been trying to contact Glaedr through his golden eldunari. Eragon was at a loss of what to do, he had lost his teachers and he was now once again a lone rider. He had lost the person who he relied on for advice and guidance and he felt at a loss for what to do at his hopeless situation. Glaedr was the only one remaining of his teachers and he was yearning to speak with him. He wanted to receive the comfort of being under the guidance of one of his teachers once again. He was standing in front of a lake just outside the varden's camp with the golden dragon's eldunari cradled in his arms.

_Glaedr elda,_ Eragon kept trying to communicate with his late Master's dragon. _Glaedr elda_ _please speak to me._ Eragon hugged the dragon's eldunari closer around his chest as he reached a tendril of thought and penetrated the dragon's consciousness trying to bring the dragon out of seclusion and elevate its suffering. He gasped as he immersed himself in the dragon's consciousness and found himself surrounded in a torrent of anger, anguish and an immeasurable sadness. Tears stung his eyes as memories of Oromis surged through to him from Glaedr through their mental link and his own memories of the times he spent with his master back in Elesmera mixed with them. He felt his sanity ebbing away as he slowly started to lose himself in the midst of the golden dragon's torment, coupled with his own anguish; he let loose a scream of pain and loss and started crying uncontrollably. He felt Saphira tugging at his consciousness trying to pull him into her mind and comfort him but his pain and rage made Saphira withdraw her attempts as if stung. He heard incomprehensible voices and felt a pair of hands wrench the golden eldunari from his grip as he fell forward on his knees, tears streaming freely down his face. At the same time he felt the pair of hands, much gentler and smoother than the earlier, wrap around his neck from behind pulling him into a tight embrace. By the sweet scent of crushed pine needles, a scent he only knew too well, he recognized it as Arya as he allowed himself to slowly calm down and regain control of his emotions.

He did not know how long they stayed there, barely moving an inch. After what seemed like hours he heard Arya speak to him as if from a distant land, "That's enough now Eragon." He opened his eyes to find himself and Arya huddled together with Saphira's tail circled protectively around them. Saphira was looking at him with a forlorn look upon her face while humming sadly. "Saphira has been trying to reach you all this time as have I." Arya whispered, lips brushing barely on the tip of his ear which caused his heart to give an involuntary flutter. They stayed in that way for a little more until he felt her gently push him against Saphira as she got up to go. For one mad moment, he felt like asking her to stay and half opened his mouth, but Arya said "Get some rest Eragon. Tomorrow we are to meet with the new Elven spellcasters that the queen has dispatched in an attempt to counter the strength of the eldunari the dark king and his minion possess." Eragon briefly nodded in acknowledgement as he leaned against Saphira and watched her walk away with Glaedr's eldunari wrapped in her travelling cloak.

_Little one, don't worry too much about Glaedr. He is far older and wiser than any being I have ever encountered and I am sure he will not be this way for too long and abandon his pupils. We also have to remember that Glaedr has been hurt in the worst possible way a dragon can be and he will need all the time he can get in order to recover_, Saphira gently remarked through their mental link.

_Saphira…I know I have asked you this question once before, but do you regret having picked me as your rider? I hate myself, at times of great need I always fail to protect those important to me and I am weak, weaker than Murtagh and Galbatorix who is far more powerful than both me and Murtagh put together._

Emanating outrage Saphira broadened the contact between them. _Don't you ever question me on my judgement again Eragon! Do you think so little of the time I spent inside my egg waiting for the correct person? Arya had exposed me to every single one of the varden and to every elf in Ellesmera and I did not deem it fit to be bonded with any of them. Do you think you became my rider by pure chance? Never forget that._

Eragon's face broke into a grin when she finished and could think of nothing to say. He cuddled closer against his faithful dragon and sighed contendly and Saphira, humming contendly, draped a wing over him and wrapped her tail protectively around him. And together they drifted off to sleep.

_Eragon._

Eragon looked up but all he saw was pure darkness around him.

_Eragon._

Eragon looked around nervously, the voice that he kept hearing in his head sounded strangely familiar and yet he felt himself trembling slightly. He could not sense ill intentions from the voice but he was still unnerved by the sheer power that seemed to emanate from the voice.

_Behind you._

Eragon whirled around to find a tall figure, wearing a grey tunic with its hood drawn over its head. The figure was surrounded by a violet aura and it had a Brisingr strapped to its waist.

_Took you long enough_. Eragon could feel the mirth flowing from the stranger as he recognized the voice to be that of a man.

_Wh…who are you?_

_Why…that's an interesting question but what is more interesting to me is, who really are you shadeslayer?_

_I don't follow. What is it you want from me? I am the last free dragon rider of Alagaesia and I am the rider bonded to Saphira._

_Ah yes, I knew that already and yet you have only introduced a part of yourself._

_Speak not in riddles, who are you? How is it you know about me? And how is it you came by my sword?_

_You really have no idea do you Eragon? Although I can sense the answer forming in your mind I will answer you. I am your past, present, and future Eragon. No matter how much you try to deny my existence I will always be here. I am the part of you that you refuse to accept within yourself. Everything you hide from those around you, everything you fear that you think will turn you into a monster. You are weak Eragon and you cannot deny it. Your heart is weak. You refuse to take control of the power that resides within you for fear of harming those around you and you still feel compassion for you enemies. I am everything that you fear you might become._

Realization dawned on Eragon's face as he numbly looked at the man before him.

The figure laughed. _It is not quite the time for you to reach out to what I have said Eragon. You will have to come to terms with what you are and embrace it. You are still not prepared, or more specifically, you cannot handle the power that sleeps within you. Just remember you and Saphira do not make up your whole being, there are still two parts of yourself you are missing for you to truly be yourself. Now wake up, I believe the others are worried why you do not respond to their cries. _With that the figure vanished leaving Eragon to fall back through the infinite void surrounding him.

"Eragon! Eragon!" He felt a pair of hands shaking him.

"Eragon please wake up." Arya's frantic voice pleaded, her flawless face twisted in worry. He opened his eyes and he found Arya right in front of him with Saphira staring down at him.

"Wha…what's going on?" Eragon tried to sit up, but found that he was feeling faint as he realized most of his energy was drained.

"You fool what were you thinking? You were channeling a spell that was draining your energy at a massive rate. If Saphira had not contacted me you would have died in another few minutes." Eragon had never seen Arya look so furious in the time he had spent with her. He looked up at her bright green eyes and he saw anger, pain and other emotions he could not bring himself to describe. Her usually emotionless mask that was always present on her face was not present at that moment. "Your mind was completely blocked off to the point that even me and Saphira's combined efforts couldn't breach through your barriers guarding your mind."

"I...I had a dream, except, I don't know how to describe it, it did not feel like a dream." Eragon's feeble attempts to get up were shattered as he felt a wave of nausea wash over him and felt his legs give way under him. Arya's face softened as she helped the rider sit back up against Saphira and gave him a sip of water from her canteen.

_Little one do you mind sharing what you saw with me and Arya? I couldn't feel your consciousness the whole time, your mind didn't feel like you the whole time we were trying to breach your defenses. _Saphira remarked through their link.

_I don't quite understand myself Saphira, but…_Eragon left the thought hanging and turned to Arya. "If you find it agreeable I will share my memories with you and Saphira of what I saw."

"Yes shadeslayer, you may." Arya replied putting her emotionless mask back on and lowering her barriers allowing Eragon to enter her mind. Eragon poured memories of all he had seen to their minds. Nobody spoke for a few minutes after Eragon finished sharing his memories and he was quite content of the silence which allowed him some time to think.

_Little one the figure you saw in your dreams, somehow he seems familiar. I do have a feeling that I know who it was you saw as do you. Do you feel like sharing what you know with Arya?_

_No Saphira, I am not sure about my suspicions and a part of me hopes that my conclusions are wrong. _Eragon winced as he was reminded of the words the figure spoke to him, _"you and Saphira do not make up your whole being."_

"Arya, what do you think?" Eragon asked the elf who hadn't said anything during the exchange between himself and Saphira. He looked up at her face and he saw that she was blankly staring at a space between the trees in front of them with a worried look on her face.

"Arya?" Eragon repeated in a slightly louder voice than before.

Arya looked at Eragon and gazed at him with such intensity that he felt uncomfortable. "I honestly don't know Eragon." She said guardedly and at once Eragon knew she was hiding something from him.

_She may know more about this than she wants to let us know_, Saphira remarked privately to him. Eragon sent her an equivalent of a mental nod as he looked at Arya thinking whether he should question her farther or not.

Suddenly, Eragon felt Blodhgarm contact him. _Sorry for disturbing you shadeslayer but the new elves have arrived and they request you and Arya's presence as they bear a message from the Queen._

_Thankyou, I will be there shortly._

"Arya it seems the elves have arrived and they request our presence."

"Let us go." With that Eragon climbed onto Saphira and held out his hand to Arya which she accepted, surprising Eragon slightly and settling behind him drawing her hands around his waist.

_Fly my beautiful dragon, fly! _Eragon laughed as he felt the joy Saphira felt at his words. She pushed off the ground and roared sending a stream of blue flames to the air and he smiled as he felt Arya's hands tighten around him making him the tips of his ears warm considerably.

**AN: I hope this is a good start for a story that will encourage people to keep reading and that this story will be an enjoyable experience for you guys that take the time to read . I had the idea for this story for a long time since I began reading fan fictions of Eragon after I got over my disappointment at the ending of Inheritance. My story is set right after Brisingr and I will try to make the characters as close to Christopher Paolini's characters as possible other than the original characters I will introduce later in the story.**

**Also I apologize in advance for my English as it is not my first language and this is my first fan fiction. **

**REVIEW! :D. I don't expect to be praised but your feedback will let me improve myself and hopefully make reading the future chapters more enjoyable to you as the reader.**

**I will be updating within the week so stay tuned :P. And thanks again for taking the time to read this ^^ **


	2. Chapter 2

**As promised, chapter 2 :) I updated a lot faster than I thought I would but I finished up all my work I had for the week so I had quite a bit of free time. **

** CHAPTER 2**

The wind whistled as Saphira flew in the direction of the varden camp. Eragon felt truly at home while he was in the sky, his mind felt clear as he felt the air whistling around him. It felt as though here, in the skies, he could truly relax and feel at ease. He felt Saphira's unspoken approval flooding through their mental link as she caught wind of his thoughts making him smile. Arya, he noticed, had not spoken at all since they had been flying for the last few minutes and he turned around to look at her. Her face was bowed low and her brow furrowed as she looked deep in thought. She suddenly looked up and her eyes met his and both of them broke eye contact in unison muttering hurried apologies and Eragon knew that she was still dwelling on the dream he had revealed to her. _What could she possibly know that she isn't revealing to me, _Eragon silently thought to himself. He did not have much time to dwell on it though, for Saphira suddenly started a steep descent towards the camp and he caught sight of Nasuada surrounded by her guards as well as Blodhgarm, and a group of elves wearing travelling cloaks with their hoods drawn over their faces. Eragon felt an involuntary shiver run down his spine as he was reminded of the figure from his dreams. Saphira slowed down until she gracefully landed in front of the party assembled in front of them and he jumped off and helped Arya get down from Saphira.

"My lady." Eragon inclined his head respectfully at Nasuada and he walked towards the group of elves.

"Shadeslayer, these are the elves dispatched by the Queen herself." Blodhgarm remarked indicating the elves behind him.

In unison all of the four elves bowed respectfully at him and twisted their right hands and placed them over their sternum which he knew was a sign of obedience and loyalty as he himself had done the very same action when he first met Islanzadi.

The leader of the group as Eragon assumed, stepped in front of him and pushed back his hood. The elf that stood before him had piercing yellow eyes and long black hair; there were also a three long white scars on his cheek.

"Eragon Shadeslayer_. Atra esterni ono thelduin_." The elf's voice had a surprising musical quality to it.

"_Atra du evarinya ono varda_."

"_Un atra mor'ranr lifa unin hjarta onr_," replied the elf, completing the ritual.

"What is your name, friend." Eragon asked.

"Calanon, shadeslayer. My comrades are Rimedur, Vanya, and Aeraela." Calanor replied indicating the elves behind him. One by one each approached Eragon, removed their hoods and repeated the ritual while Calanon repeated the ritual with Saphira next and lastly Arya. Rimedur had a low voice which growled as he spoke and was covered with fur and had fangs just like Blodhgarm. _He looks like he would pounce on you any moment and attempt to devour you from head to toe_, Saphira remarked privately and Eragon had to fight the desire to laugh out loud. Vanya had long black hair and she had dark eyes which seemed to gleam unnaturally. The last elf however, was a little different. When she removed her hood Eragon's heart sped up and almost skipped a few beats. She was the most beautiful elf Eragon had ever seen apart from Arya. Her face was perfectly angled and she had bright green eyes and long silvery white hair which was hanging gracefully on her back past her waist. Eragon sensed an immense power radiating from her, far more than he had ever experienced from an elf.

"It is an honor to finally meet you shadeslayer. I am Aeraela" The elf remarked in her clear voice after she had finished the ritual.

"You are not a…I mean you are a…" Eragon trailed off doubtfully still unsure of whether his conclusion about her was correct. Eragon looked towards Calanon for an explanation.

"She is a child Eragon." surprised Eragon turned to find that it was Arya that spoke. Her face impassive she muttered, "So it seems even the young ones have started entering the battlegrounds."

"Aye Shadeslayer, what Arya Drottningu says is true; Aeraela is still considered a child by our standards. She was chosen to be a part of our battalion due to her high degree of combat proficiency and her unusual control she has over her gramarye." Calanon said with a similar expression like Arya's on his face.

"The queen sends her condolences to you shadeslayer for the loss of Oromis elda and Glaedr elda." Eragon felt a stab of pain at his heart as he remembered the emotions he felt during his time in Glaedr's eldunari. "The queen also wants you to know that you have inherited the mourning sage's position and it is now your duty to train the new riders in the years to come should any new riders arise." Surprisingly it was Aeraela that spoke this time, her face indicating she was not pleased at being treated as the child as she was glaring daggers at Arya and Calanon.

Eragon kept his face as emotionless as he could but the turmoil he felt inside was threatening to tear him apart. Here was Islanzadi just brushing aside the death of his teacher as if it were nothing and giving him Oromis's position. More than his anger he felt unsure that he could even accomplish this task. Even though Oromis had declared his training complete he was not confident enough to take up the mantle of leadership. Brushing aside his turmoil he felt Saphira enter his mind and broadened their consciousness, _Hush little one, don't worry about that now. Should a new rider arise I am sure you will be as good a teacher as Oromis ebrithil was to us. Also you will have me for all of our days in this world so you will never be alone._ She hummed contently as she felt Eragon's rush of gratitude at her words pour over her.

Suddenly a soldier burst unceremoniously to the middle of the group, his hair entangled with twigs and branches as if he had run through a forest in blind panic and his face had a hunted expression on his face, forgetting all about the elves gathered around him along with Eragon and Saphira. The soldier skidded to a halt in front of Nasuada and knelt before her, his voice cracking with exhaustion, "Lady Nasuada, there is are two whole battalions of the empire's soldiers heading towards us as we speak, my company was wiped out within seconds by a hail of enchanted arrows that descended upon us, they broke past our wards as if there were none present and I only just got away."

"Is there any sign of the red rider?" Nasuada asked, her face etched with worry.

"None for now my lady."

"Eragon? Please come with me to my quarters. You too Arya, Blodhgarm and Calanon for this is a matter which requires our immediate attention, soldier, can you rouse the rest of the camp and sound the war drums? Oh and above all, inform King Orrin to come to my quarters immediately" her voice laced with authority and her face set.

"Of course my lady, it will be done."

"Wait!" Eragon exclaimed looking at the soldier, the soldier had a large bloody gash on his midsection and there were multiple bruises and burns around the skin that was visible through his armor. It was a wonder that the soldier had managed to run all the way to the varden with his injuries and Eragon respected him for that. Eragon walked towards the soldier as the soldier bowed low when he noticed him muttering hurried apologies for his rudeness to the rider. Disregarding the apologies and the terrified look on the soldier's face Eragon placed his palm over the soldier and traced around the injuries and murmured "_Waise heill_."

The soldier visibly relaxed and looked up at Eragon gratefully with renewed respect in his eyes. Bowing low the soldier remarked, "I am truly grateful to you for lifting my pain Shadeslayer." and ran towards the middle of the camp to carry out his orders.

Eragon straightened up to find the four new elves looking at him with surprised looks on their faces mixed with awe and respect. Eragon felt his ears go red to which Saphira snorted humorously causing Arya to flash a small smile as she noticed this.

Eragon and the others followed close begind Nasuada and when they reached her quarters, two of her nighthawks jumped forward and held the tent flap open for everyone and they all walked in save for the three new elves who waited outside. Inside, King Orrin was already seated and he nodded at Eragon who in turn inclined his head respectfully. Once they were all seated around the table they waited for Nasuada to begin.

Nasuada didn't say anything for a full minute. When she spoke though, her voice was low and her face had a haunted expression about it. "As you have heard, two battalions of the empires soldiers are heading our way as we speak. If we try to retreat we will be hunted and eradicated as judging by the words of our soldier, they have a large number of powerful magicians present as well. We do not know if the red rider will be joining the battle but it is a possibility we should not overlook. Our supplies are almost depleted and our soldiers are still injured from our last battle." Nasuada paused, her face contorted with concentration as she tried to find a solution. All around the table everyone had similar expressions on their faces however Eragon thinking hard spoke up.

"Let me and Saphira head out to battle on our own, we will confront the soldiers." At his words everyone around him including Arya emitted looks of outrage at his bold statement.

"We cannot afford to lose our only hope to a battalion of soldiers Eragon. However strong you are it is sheer idiocy to take on such a large number of soldiers with magicians." Arya said looking at him directly in his eyes causing him to look away.

"I will not be completely alone, I will have Calanon's group assist me in finding the magicians while we fight and we will deal with them one by one. Blodhgarm's elves will stay behind ti defend the varden should we be overrun as I know most of them are still recovering from their injuries. Do not try to argue with me" Eragon added when he saw Blodhgarm make signs of interrupting him. "I do not want anyone to unnecessarily lose their lives. When the magicians are all taken care of, dispatching the soldiers will be relatively easy. Calanon and the others will be a short distance away from me while they find the magicians." He felt Saphira's approval at his plan. _The empire will pay for our loss_, Saphira's bloodlust awakening as again memories of Oromis and Glaedr being struck down flowed into their minds through their link. _Aye, they will_, Eragon replied grimly a chill of anticipation running down his spine feeling the same bloodlust as Saphira was.

The room fell silent as they considered Eragon's plan, everyone knew what Eragon said makes sense as preserving their forces was as important to their chance of victory against the dark king as was Eragon's survival. If the varden were wiped out and Eragon survived, they would have no chance at all and as Eragon pointed out, due to the injuries their forces have suffered from the last battle, they were nowhere near prepared to fight again in another battle so soon.

Nasuada looked at him, her face worried and a defeated look on her face. "Very well Eragon you will go out to face the empire's soldiers, in the meantime we will use the time to retreat further into Surda. We will send word to King Orik of our predicament for all good it may do." She hesitantly walked towards him and kissed his brow. "Please make it back to us safely Eragon, our hopes rest on your shoulders. May the gods watch over you."

"I will my lady." Eragon replied. He signaled Calanon to follow him as he walked out of the tent.

"I'm coming too, I will not let you face the soldiers on your own Eragon and nothing you say will make me change my mind." Arya declared with a fierce look on her face. Eragon opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it. Instead he walked towards the other elves muttering darkly under his breath, "That elf..."

He spent the next minute outlining his plan to the elves. "We hear and we obey Shadeslayer." They replied in unison. Eragon nodded and he went to his tent and hung his bow behind his back, he reached for his shield but found it was damaged beyond repair in the last battle so he took Brisingr's scabbard and warded it with protective enchantments. _This will have to do;_ he thought to himself as he slipped Brisingr inside the scabbard strapped it on his waist. After he donned his armor he headed outside to find Arya. Arya was wearing a new set of armor which was made of bare steel. He approached her and murmured quietly, "_Arya svit kona, ereneai varna, wiol p__ömnuria ilian.__"_Without waiting for her reply he turned towards Saphira who was being fitted with her battle armor by Blodhgarm and some of the soldiers and walked towards her with Arya right behind him. Before he reached her however Aeraela stepped in front of him, he could see worry in her eyes as she grasped his hand with hers and said, "_Sitja varna Eragon vohdr."_ With that she momentarily tightened her grip and then released him and walked back towards the elves leaving a confused looking Eragon standing in the middle. Painfully aware of Arya's gaze on his back he straightened up and walked towards Saphira.

_We will fight as one again Saphira. _Eragon said through their mental link, stroking her long neck. She brushed her snout against his cheek affectionately and hummed, _Do not be reckless, that is all I ask for I cannot imagine a life without my cute little rider._ Eragon's face stretched into a grin as he climbed up and he held out his hand to Arya to help her up. Ignoring his hand she leapt gracefully settling herself behind him and drew her hands around him. Smiling slightly Eragon took one last look at the camp where he saw the soldiers lift up their swords and cheer. His eyes found Roran for the first time in three days supported by Katrina as Eragon knew Roran was still having trouble walking due to his leg injury he sustained during the last battle. Roran stiffly nodded and Eragon knew he disapproved of Eragon going out to face army.

_Let us fly,_ Eragon quietly murmured to Saphira and she took off to the cheers of the varden with the rest of the elves riding on their elvin horses beneath them.

Eragon placed wards around himself and Saphira and unknown to Arya, around her as well. He also placed as many wards as he can on the elves riding below him as they flew at a steady speed. In front of him there was a large mass of black which Eragon knew was the army. _This is sheer madness,_ he thought but then suddenly he felt a burst of joy spread through him as a memory of him stabbing a soldier through his armor surfaced. Surprised by his sudden thirst for blood Eragon was forcibly reminded of the words spoken by the figure in his dream. _Everything you hide from those around you, everything you fear that you think will turn you into a monster. This is not the time for this, get a hold of yourself_, Eragon thought to himself angrily berating himself for allowing such thoughts to enter his mind at the time of battle.

"_Skulblakas ven!"_ Eragon muttered and suddenly he was seeing through Saphira's enhanced vision. The soldiers were heavily armed however the air around them shimmered indicating the presence of wards however he noted that the wards were placed specifically around there midsection.

"Arya, aim for their chest and above. They do not have wards in that area." Arya sent a mental nod to him as they neared the battalion. "We will jump descend right at the middle of their ranks so not all of them can reach us, they will be held back by their own weapons." Suddenly he felt Arya's warm breath on his ear as she murmured, "_freia ellenea ne servsae_."

Eragon nodded and slid Brisingr out of the scabbard and gripped the scabbard tightly in his left hand. At the same time he got a signal and allowed Calanon into his mind, "_We are in position, shadeslayer." _Eragon sent the equivalent of a mental nod and replied through the link, "_We engage now, attack as one so that you may easily overpower the magicians. If you need any help send me or Arya a message and we will try to assist you and we will contact you if we need help." _

They were now within range of the empire's archers and a hail of arrows started firing at them, remembering the enchanted arrows Eragon quickly contacted Saphira, _Saphira fly high and above the clouds, I have an idea_. She sent her assent and flew upwards at a forty five degree angle and disappeared above the clouds. Above in the sky, Eragon sent mental images of the outline of his plan to both Saphira and Arya and they both grimly gave their assent. "Let us begin." Eragon said out loud and Saphira tucked her wings in as she started a steep dive towards the spot in the middle of the empire, still using his dragon's enhanced vision Eragon smiled at the uncertain looks on the soldier's faces as the scanned the skies looking for signs of the dragon and laughed as he saw their faces contort in horror as they suddenly spotted Saphira diving towards them at an impossible speed. Arrows flew past them but all of it missed and just before colliding with the ground Eragon placed his palm in front and shouted "_Jierda!"_ using the energy reserves in his belt of Beloth the Wise. The impact from his spell killed all of the soldiers withing range and the blast from his spell made Saphira recoil as she stretched her wings out allowing her to land safely. Eragon lept of along with Arya as more soldiers surrounded the three of them and true to Eragon's assumptions, none of the soldiers in the back could reach them with their weapons. Eragon melded his consciousness together with Saphira as he blocked hits with his scabbard in one hand and parried, stabbed, and used sheer force to break through the soldier's armor as if it were made of brittle wood. Fountains of blood rose around him bathing him, Arya and Saphira in red and he felt his bloodthirst growing as he became more and more vicious in his attacks as again memories of Oromis and Glaedr flooded in him fueling his anger. As the battle progressed the strength of the wards on the soldiers weakened gradually meaning Calanon and his elves were dispatching of the enemies magicians one by one.

Time seemed to slow down as he danced in and out of the army's ranks bathing Brisingr in a fine coat of blood, none of the soldiers had ever faced a terror like this before, all they saw was a flash of blue which ended their lives within seconds. Those that were fortunate enough to be away from the reaches of the rider's frenzy were faced with a dragon that cleaved bodies in two with swipes of her tail and bathing scores of soldiers with fire and still those that managed to stay away from the rider and his dragon were met with a black haired elf who sliced without mercy.

Eragon felt joy, inexplicable joy at slicing down all who stood before him, his earlier thoughts of disgust at his brutality fading away to nothingness as he laughed and stabbed yet another soldier. _They will pay. Galbatorix will pay. I will have my revenge. _Eragon kept chanting to himself. Yet in the midst of his frenzy, Eragon knew something was wrong. This was too easy, the magicians were being easily dispatched and the soldier's numbers which were previously around thousands were now reduced to mere hundreds. He felt Saphira tug at his mind but he brushed it aside in his rage at the soldiers and kept whittling down there numbers. Finally, after he ran his sword through the last soldier he lowered his hands and surveyed the death and destruction around him. All around him there were piles upon piles of dead bodies and his shoes were soaked through with blood. He looked around to find Arya with a horrified expression on her face as she looked at him and he saw Saphira roar in rage. He felt a sudden wave of nausea and reeled forward as he felt like he was about to faint and he looked down. There, stretched across his chest was a large gash stretching from his right arm towards his left leg. Blinding pain overcame him as he fell on his knees and Arya caught him from behind before he fell. Suddenly a laugh echoed eerily in the silence.

"About time you noticed you're…injury Shadeslayer." The voice was low yet it carried and air of cruelty to it. A figure robed in black suddenly appeared before him. Eragon's eyes focused on the face of the stranger, the first thing he noticed was his eyes. One of them was a pale red while the other was white giving him a strange look. The figure's red hair was tied back and he resembled an elf of a heavier build, much like Eragon. In his hand he carried a white blade which was dripping with blood. _My blood_, Eragon realized, _how did I not even notice him strike me._ He felt Arya's grip tighten around him as she drew her sword. Saphira wrapped her body protectively around them snarling visciously. The four elves also approached them and each drew their blades and stood protectively in front them.

The stranger sneered, "How touching, the elves and the dragon doing their best to protect their rider. Don't worry, I am not so dishonorable as to try to fight when my opponent is so weak. There will be more opportunities for me to confront you in battle Shadeslayer."

Eragon tried to speak but started coughing up blood, wiping it away he spoke. "Who are you?"

"Always asking questions I see. You are just like how I remember from when I examined Murtagh's memories of you." The figure chuckled. "Maybe this might give you a little of what to expect." The figure raised his right hand and showed it to them, there, as clear as day was the Gedwey ignasia. Everyone could only stare speechlessly at it.

"Another one of the empire then, I see Galbatorix managed to find another egg and find another minion" Eragon spat in angrily.

At this the stranger threw back his head and laughed, as if it were the most ridiculous thing he ever heard. "Oh Eragon, you truly have no idea of anything do you?"

"Maybe not as much as I would have liked."

"Well you deserve to know something at least." The stranger smirked, "Galbatorix does not control me, oh no, rather, I control him, both him and Murtagh, Galbatorix is so deluded that he thinks he is in control and quite honestly I am content watching him make a fool of himself. The elves, the varden, or even the mighty dragons are just pawns in my plan. But you Shadeslayer, you have proven yourself well. You truly have the blood of the forgotten ones running in your veins as you demonstrated by dispatching these soldiers." He lazily ran his sword through a body, a twisted expression on his face. "I still need you to grow further than this Eragon, take control of your inheritance. You play a major role in my plans Eragon. Rest assured that I will not harm the varden in the meantime. I will release my control of Galbatorix however, I would like to see how events would turn out and I am curious to see how you will handle it. It will also allow you to…progress. These words I swear to you. _Vel einradhin iet ai Shur'tugal._"

Eragon was visibly growing weaker with every passing second. No matter how much energy the elves were transferring to him did not seem to be enough and they needed more healers to make him better. It was becoming difficult to understand what he was hearing, "Why are you doing this. What is it that you seek to accomplish?"

The stranger just shook his head and said, "It will be clear soon." He caught Eragon's eyes with his own and said, "You probably should stop talking and concentrate on healing yourself, I cut a little more than I expected and if you die now everything I carefully constructed will crumble and we can't have that now can we?" The stranger smiled wickedly and said venomously, "I will not hold back the next time Shadeslayer."

The stranger stretched his arms out wide and a huge red dragon dropped out of the sky landing squarely in front of them. The dragon was much bigger than Saphira and Glaedr as Eragon remembered and it had cruel red eyes, Eragon noticed the dragon's eyes had no pupils, the sockets where its eyes should be were colored completely in the same shade of red as its rider's eye as if they contained a fiery orange gem. The elves uttered cries of surprise as the stranger mounted his dragon. "This is my dragon Vulthuryol. And my name is Aldor. Remember it well Shadeslayer for your life will be taken by my blade." With that, the rider and his dragon pushed off the ground and flew towards the East side of the plains. He felt Arya apply pressure on his wound and he Saphira's voice inside his head, _Sleep little one. _He relaxed and allowed himself to fall to the darkness unfolding before him with welcoming arms.

**AN: phew, I wrote a lot more than I intended for this chapter but I want to set everything up as soon as possible so that the story will progress faster and get to the more important points. Just a little bit more chapters and I will have the setting up :). I still haven't introduced the rest of the characters yet, (How could I ever forget about Murtagh and Thorn?). I plan on trying to get as much as possible of the original characters on scene as I feel the multitude of characters in the original inheritance cycle was what made the book so colorful and an awesome read :D.**

**Some side notes, to all you ExA fans, do not be disappointed as my story progresses, I too am a big supporter of that pairing however I will NOT make it easy for them to get together as I found it a little bit too off character while reading other fan fictions in which Arya just suddenly admits her feelings and everything gets all fluffy, it takes time for it to work out especially considering Arya's personality, and anyways I have some ideas with which I want to juggle possibilities with so just stick with me through my story and I promise I will do them justice. (Or try to, lol)**

**Translations – "**_Atra esterni ono thelduin" "__**May good fortune rule over you**__"_

_ "Atra du evarinya ono varda" "__**peace live in your heart**__"_

"_Un atra mor'ranr lifa unin hjarta onr" "__**the stars watch over you**__"_

"_Sitja varna, wiol p__ömnuria ilian" __"__**stay safe, for my happiness**__" _

"_freia ellenea ne servsae" "__**please be careful**__"_

**Thank you so much for the reviews guys! It was honestly those reviews which inspired me to write my second chapter so fast. So please guys, review! Feel free to drop off any criticisms you guys think of and if you can, point out where I am going wrong so I may improve myself. To everyone that added my story to their subscription/favorite list. Thank you! You guys truly inspire me to keep writing and I have already started on chapter 3. I will be updating as soon as I can so unless college work piles up, I will have updated before the start of this weekend. Until we meet again :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Seems like I'm really enjoying writing in my spare time :P.**

**CHAPTER 3**

It was late in the afternoon and the sky was cluttered with storm clouds. A man dressed in full battle armor walked along the dark hallways leading to a room at the end. "Blasted weather", cursed the man. The dark atmosphere only served to increase his growing nervousness and fear as every step brought him closer to the room. "Here we go." The man silently murmured to himself and gripping his sword tightly he pushed the door open. A low growl froze him in place as he found himself staring at a dragon with blood red scales that seemed to flicker in the torches that lit the large room. A man was lying on the floor leaning against the dragon with a ruby sword resting on his lap.

"Speak fool or leave me in peace." the man remarked eyeing him as if he liked nothing better than to run his sword through his chest. The man swallowed and felt himself trembling in fear.

"Lord Murtagh, Lord Aldor has returned and he requests your presence immediately at the courtyard." He managed speak cursing himself as another tremor of fear sparked through him as the dragon looked at him directly and growled again, this time more louder than before.

"Very well, tell him his most loyal servant will be in his presence at once." The man replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "If that is all, it would be best you make haste and leave." He paused, "You're giving my dragon thoughts that are making even me hungry."

The man stumbled backwards almost tripping over himself as he hurried out of the room, Murtagh's laughter ringing in his ears.

_That was enjoyable_, the dragon remarked, mirth flowing through his bond to Rider.

_Aye,_ replied Murtagh chuckling humorously, _aside from that, Thorn have you eaten for the day?_

_It's you that is hungry Murtagh, I've already had my fill for today. _Thorn replied. _You really need to pay more attention to yourself rather than me all the time._

_What's the use; if it wasn't for you I would have already forfeited my life long ago. _Murtagh grimaced; _let's go see what that bastard wants of us now._ Murtagh mounted Thorn and they moved towards the opening behind the room. The opening to the outside was the only thing that kept Murtagh and Thorn going as it gave them hope of someday escaping from the chains that bound both of them to Aldor. Thorn roared and a brilliant column of flames erupted from his maw as he leapt off the opening and flew around the dark castle towards the courtyard where a Vulthuryol was clearly visible. The dragon was a lighted shade of red and it was larger than even Galbatorix's black dragon Shruikan which was kept in chains underground. Thorn gently descended and touched down on the ground in front of the Vulthuryol. Next to it was Aldor looking at him with a bored look on his face.

"Ah Murtagh, so glad you could join us." Aldor remarked regarding him with an expression of distaste on his face which Murtagh was only too happy to return in favor.

"Forgive me for my tardiness my Lord." Murtagh said, bowing low fighting to keep his anger in control. Next to him Thorn inclined its head in a poor imitation of a bow.

"I met your brother today Murtagh." Aldor said still looking directly at him. A spasm of fear and distress ran through Murtagh. What happened? Where was he now? Questions screamed in his head. He knew only too well of Aldor's monstrous strength and knew that the entire Varden forces would be wiped out if he stepped into the battleground.

"I see you look worried Murtagh. Rest assured he is alive and I have not killed him." He paused, "only just" he continued with a cruel smile unfolding on his face. Murtagh winced, he knew of Aldor's brutality by witnessing an interrogation carried out by him on a spy of the Varden that was unlucky enough to be captured. The man was tortured to the point that he was begging for death and it was days before he was put out of his misery.

"What is it you wanted to see me about my Lord?" Murtagh asked keeping his face as emotionless as possible.

Aldor chuckled, "What is this? Are you not worried about your poor little brother? Or about what happened with the Varden? Are you not worried about, what's her name…Nasuada?" Aldor's voice was cruel as he fixed his gaze on Murtagh. It was taking all of Murtagh's self-control to stop himself from running Zar'roc through Aldor's neck. _Control yourself Murtagh. He is toying with you._ Thorn warned him through their mental link.

"I know you wouldn't eradicate the Varden or kill Eragon so soon; I've heard you multiple times as you stressed that point on Galbatorix."

"Quite right, I'm delighted you have some shred of intelligence to you Rider." Aldor laughed "I only introduced myself formally to our young Rider."

Murtagh snapped in his anger, "Why introduce yourself now? You made me swear to you before I first confronted him in the Burning Plains not to reveal anything of your identity at any cost.

"That is for me to decide not you, filthy mongrel." growled Aldor. Murtagh felt a white hot dagger stab into his mind causing him to cry out in pain. Thorn roared in rage and tried to swipe at Aldor but Vulthuryol pressed its claw on Thorn's neck. "You will do well to know your place Murtagh." Aldor remarked lazily crouching over Murtagh who was writhing on the ground in pain. After what felt like an eternity the dagger withdrew from his mind relieving him of his pain. "Alright then, I am switching your allegiance to Galbatorix. You will obey him at all costs until I return." Aldor murmured Murtagh's true name under his breath and forced him to swear his allegiance to Galbatorix which Murtagh had no choice but to obey. He lay on the ground as Aldor did the same with Thorn who was still being held in place by Vulthuryol.

"I am curious to see how much will change in the time to come. We shall see if you truly are Eragon's brother Murtagh Morzanson."

Aldor mounted his dragon who finally released Thorn and they pushed off the ground causing a tremor to run through the ground. _What are we getting into brother?_ Murtagh muttered to himself as he walked towards Thorn and muttered a spell to heal his cuts made by Vulthuryol.

_How is he doing Arya?_ Saphira asked privately for probably the hundredth time. Angela, Arya, Roran and Katrina were sitting around Eragon's bed. Eragon had barely moved an inch after he was unconscious and everyone were getting worried. Arya sighed _His life is in no danger Saphira it is rather troublesome that he won't regain consciousness._ As she said it she heard a mournful growl emit from Saphira who was lying outside the medical tent. Arya herself was worried although she did not voice her thoughts. She stared at Eragon's prone form unable to comprehend the emotions she was feeling. She felt a stab of pain in her heart as she eyed the long scar that stretched all the way from his arm across his midsection to his leg. They had healed his wounds as best as they could but the scar could not be removed no matter how much they tried.

"What were the elves doing when Eragon was attacked?" Roran asked who had been silent for the whole time since he had seen his cousin's condition. Arya noticed the accusation in his voice and flinched as she felt another stab of pain run through her. She has failed to protect Eragon even though she had volunteered to go into battle with him. Katrina placed a hand warningly on Roran's shoulder.

"There was nothing we could do. It all happened too fast." Arya said bluntly forcing herself to look directly at Roran. She noticed that they were precisely the same shade of brown as Eragon's which only served to increase her pain.

"There was nothing you could do." Roran repeated quietly, "HE ALMOST DIED" he bellowed surprising everyone with his sudden outburst. Shaking his head he got up, "Let me know when he wakes up." He muttered as he walked out. Katrina stroked the hair away from Eragon's eyes as she got up. As she walked out she gripped Arya's shoulder comfortingly.

"There is nothing more we can do but wait until the blockhead decides to wake up." Angela remarked as she got up. "There's only so much patience one can have with a person that simply refuses to do anything than to remain still." With that she too walked out leaving Arya alone with Eragon.

Arya studied Eragon under the dim light and wondered how much he had changed since she had come to know him. She did not see the ignorant little boy she once knew. She saw a man. She remembered the time back in Ellesmera when Eragon had confessed his feelings for her. All of the arguments she had against a relationship between them had been steadily weakening the days passed by. She also felt feelings for Eragon growing within her as the time she spent with Eragon increased with time. What those feelings were however, were not clear to her and no matter how many times she questioned herself, she never could make sense of it. She enjoyed being with Eragon. He was the only person she could truly relax around and he always managed to find some way to break down her mask causing her to express emotions and outbursts she normally kept bottled inside. She always caught herself thinking longingly of the times she spent with Faolin but she also noticed that over the past few months, days had started to go by in which she hardly spared a thought of him. When she was not busy planning the Varden's military strategies with Nasuada she was always concerned with what the idiot Dragon Rider was getting himself into. By this time she became dimly aware that she was stroking his head gently and she withdrew her hand as if stung and looked around making sure there was no one but herself and Eragon in the room. Saphira was asleep judging by the steady rumbling outside and she forced herself to relax.

She thought back to the figure in the battleground. When she first noticed Aldor, she knew immediately that he was not an enemy she could fight and hope to live. She had spent the last hour explaining to Nasuada and King Orrin everything that had transpired in the battleground and she could tell that their hopes were rapidly deteriorating with the news. She herself felt the same way. As if Galbatorix and Murtagh were not bad enough, a new, more powerful Rider had surfaced. One who claims to have power over both of the Riders who, after all this time, had been the ultimate goal the Varden had been aiming for. Although they wanted nothing better than to dismiss Aldor's words as the ravings of a madman, that comfortable notion was shattered as he had sworn in the ancient language. She also remembered Eragon's dream. She felt she knew what Eragon's dream had meant and yet it continuously slipped her mind as if a wall was preventing her from accessing the information. Try as she might, no matter how close she thought she got towards the answer, the answer just slipped off her mind as if that memory ceased to exist.

Eragon suddenly stirred, letting out a low moan of pain. He started shaking violently and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Arya looked worriedly at Eragon and her gaze fell once again on his scar. She gasped as fresh blood appeared before her eyes oozing out of the scar. The cut was no ordinary cut and no matter how many times they healed it, it just kept opening on its own as fresh as the moment he received it. She took a bandage and soaked it in warm water before applying it tenderly over his scar. "Oh Eragon…I'm so sorry" she murmured silently dabbing over his wound. After a while his fit subsided and she heard footsteps approaching from outside. The tent flap opened and she found herself looking at Aeraela. The young elf looked surprised as shifted nervously.

"Arya Dröttningu, _Atra esterni ono thelduin."_

"_Atra du evarinya ono varda."_

"_Un atra mor'ranr lifa unin hjarta onr." _She finished, completing the ritual.

Arya stared at the elf, judging by the red color on the tips of her ears she was embarrassed. Younger elves had trouble concealing their emotions as adults did and they were more prone to human emotions.

"I…was just coming to check on Shadeslayer, Dröttningu." She stammered, "I will take watch over him if you would like to a rest." For one mad moment Arya felt like refusing to leave however seeing as she could give no valid reason to staying she nodded silently and got up to go. "Let me know if he wakes up."

"Of course Dröttningu."

At the entrance she stopped and looked around. Aeraela was sitting by Eragon a small smile on her lips and her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink as she gazed at the Rider before her. Arya felt a growing sense of discontentment as she stood looking at them and her heart gave a painful lurch as she turned back and walked out of the tent.

Pain. That was the only feeling Eragon could describe as he lay in the darkness unable to move. The pain relentlessly kept up, allowing him time to recover in between and again wearing him down as it repeated again and again. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours as time went by. He could not cry out and he could not move. He was only able to lay there in wait of the inevitable pain that overcame him every minute.

_Well, well look who's back_ Eragon heard a familiar voice. He squinted in the darkness until finally his eyes found a hooded grey figure surrounded by the same violet aura and Brisingr once again strapped on his waist.

_What? No greeting? I'm disappointed._ He remarked. Eragon stared at him silently.

_So how was it? _The figure asked, excitement coloring his voice.

_How was what? _Eragon asked wearily.

_Your first taste in battle, fighting the way you were meant to fight. The sheer joy of running your sword through an enemy's armor again and again until your sword is bathed with blood. _He replied, his voice feverish as if he was hurrying to describe all he knew. _I know you felt it Eragon, the bloodlust, the rage, it was amazing. I truly am impressed by your potential._

_You did something to me didn't you? You changed me! _Eragon growled.

_That is where you are wrong Eragon. I did not do anything other than to make you aware of my existence. Do not be so blind Eragon. You are changing, adapting to the blood that courses through your veins. It has lain dormant for long enough._

_What's happening to me…_Eragon murmured to himself, he looked up at the figure and gave a start as they made eye contact. The figure's eyes were gleaming brightly, something he had not noticed during their last meeting. The hooded man's right eye was a gleaming Sapphire blue while his left was a deep purple. They stared at each other until the man finally broke the silence. _I know you have questions Eragon and it pains me to have to hide the truth. _His voice was kind, _you will have all the answers you seek Eragon, in the meantime concentrate on defeating Galbatorix, you will get far stronger than Galbatorix or Murtagh ever could if you learn to harness the power within you. Even the Eldunari they have will be no match for you. _He paused as he regarded Eragon again, his eyes shining brightly, _that wound you sustained, the pain that torments you time after time will help you on your path Eragon, embrace it with open arms_. _The time will come when you will have to confront the Rider of the white blade. _His voice grew venomous at the mention of the new Rider. _I saw him through your eyes,_ _we…will have our revenge _he quietly murmured stroking the handle of Brisingr seemingly forgetting about Eragon.

_What do you know about Aldor? _Eragon cautiously asked.

_I do not truly have the answer to that question Eragon, after all, I am limited by what you see and hear and other than a certain memory I am just as clueless as you. _He laughed at the bewildered look on Eragon's face. _All in due time Eragon; Brom sacrificed a lot in order to keep you alive to bring peace to Alagaesia, trust me, __Vel einradhin iet. _He added in the ancient language and turned away from Eragon.

_Wait! What does Brom have to do with any of this? _Eragon's voice was pleading as he tried to get up and pursue the figure as he walked away. The figure just raised a hand in acknowledgement.

_Until we meet again._ With that Eragon felt himself once again falling through the darkness.

Eragon woke with a start as his eyes focused on the roof above him. He was lying on a bed and he could hear the soft sound of rain outside. Suddenly a dark figure with bright green eyes loomed over him; he gave a gasp of surprise as he tried to get up surprising the figure as his arm caught the figure around the waist as it tried to back away only to get caught by the chair behind it and tripping forward landing spread eagled across his chest which thankfully had a large bandage covering the scar preventing any contact with it nevertheless however causing him to moan in pain with the weight on it. He dimly became aware of a sweet scent of flowers and the silvery white as he recognized the figure lying on him.

"Aeraela!" he exclaimed as she picked herself up and away from Eragon gently. His face and ears grew hot as he realized how close they had been just seconds ago. He gazed at the elf who he realized with a jolt, had an intensely embarrassed expression on her face and cheeks colored in a light shade of pink.

"Shadeslayer, sorry for surprising you but I thought you were going to have another fit." Her voice gentle.

"It's alright" He mumbled looking away as he realized there was no one other than her in the tent. "How long was I unconscious?"

"For two days since the battle you received your injury." She replied. "We were worried before when you wouldn't wake up even after you were healed." Her voice colored with worry, "You kept having multiple seizures as the wound kept opening."

"Thank you." Eragon said, "For everything" he added as an afterthought. Aeraela nodded as her eyes found Eragon's, she took another bandage and soaked it with warm water and gently wiped his brow. Neither spoke for a few minutes as she dabbed at his forehead. After a while she got up, "I will inform the others that you have regained consciousness." She smiled at him and walked out.

_Well that was fun wasn't it?_ Eragon heard a snide voice inside his head as he realized he had been completely unaware of Saphira's presence when he woke up.

_Saphira! Why didn't you say anything? _Eragon whined as he felt his face grow hot as he remembered the rush of emotions he had felt and realized Saphira was aware of it all. The Dragon snorted loudly outside the tent as she laughed in her curious way, her mirth pouring through their link causing Eragon to smile unwillingly. _Oh be quiet you overgrown lizard_ he laughed as he felt her indignation and she sent him a mental image of himself trapped underneath her paw squirming to get away.

_Careful, I wouldn't anger me or else…_Her tone playful.

_Oh? And what would you _do He asked as he sent her a mental image of her biting her own tail by mistake which she countered with an image of her licking him head to foot while he was trapped underneath her paw and together they laughed as they shared their memories together which gave them comfort after being separated for so long. The last two days had felt like hundred years to both the Dragon and the Rider. Eragon got up painfully wincing as he felt the sharp jabs of pain and brushing aside the wave of worry which flowed from Saphira as he carefully walked outside and spotting Saphira, made a beeline for her and crawled underneath her wing and leaned against her warm belly. Saphira draped a wing warmly over him and they sat in silence enjoying each other's company as they watched the storm clouds clear away as the rain had stopped a while ago.

_Arya was with you for a long time over the past two days Eragon; she hardly left your side. _Saphira remarked, at her words Eragon felt a bubble of happiness growing. Truthfully he had been disappointed that Arya had not been at his side when he woke up. _She was at your side for the whole time since you lost consciousness and she left only when Aeraela came to relieve her. _Eragon caught Saphira looking at him as she said it. _The young elf has quite the trouble of concealing her emotions; _she said her tone once again playful as Eragon's ears grew hot again. _It's refreshing really, to find an elf that does not hide behind a mask all the time_. Eragon felt a confused rush of emotions as he remembered her in the tent and at the same time his thoughts filled with that of Arya. Saphira, to Eragon's immense relief didn't comment on it. With a jolt Eragon realized he had yet to tell Saphira of his latest dream and before he could tell Saphira they were interrupted by a loud voice.

"Eragon! You're awake" he heard a familiar voice as he looked up he saw Roran and Katrina striding towards him. Saphira lifted her wing to allow Roran through who awkwardly embraced him avoiding contact with the bandages that covered his scar. Katrina beamed at him, tears brimming on her eyes as she kissed his forehead. "You gave us quite the scare." She murmured.

"That you did cousin, if you ever do anything as reckless as taking on an army without our help I will not hesitate to knock you out with my hammer, Dragon Rider or not you're still my family." Roran said with a wide grin on his face. Saphira snorted humorously while Eragon laughed. Behind them Eragon spotted Blodhgarm, Nasuada, who was surrounded by her usual number of guards, Calanon, Arya, and Aeraela approaching the group gathered around the Dragon and her Rider.

"It seems the Rider has finally decided to grace us once again with his presence then?" Nasuada asked, her tone light as Eragon saw the relief in her eyes. He attempted to get up to greet his master but found himself forced down again gently by Nasuada. "We are all in your debt Eragon, to you and the elves, if not for your actions we would have been wiped out by that army." Eragon looked around in embarrassment as he noticed that Blodhgarm and Calanon both were both regarding him with respect. His eyes found Arya's as they gazed at each other, his heart beating rapidly. A bright spark seemed to flit across her eyes as they looked at each other but it was gone as suddenly as it came. Aeraela shifted nervously as his eyes fell on hers and he regarded her for a few seconds before he uneasily looked away as he remembered the feeling of her lithe body resting on his.

"Get some rest Eragon, I expect you in my quarters early in the morning. I require a full account of the new Rider and all that transpired between you and him." Nasuada said before turning away and walking away. Roran and Katrina both bade him good night as they too accompanied Nasuada.

Arya approached him, her face hidden by a veil of her hair. "Get some rest Eragon; we will see you in the morning." For a moment she paused as though she was going to say something but she seemed to think better of it and abruptly turned and walked away accompanied by the rest of the elves. As they were walking away, Aeraela turned quickly to look at him and their eyes met. Smiling slightly she continued on his way, leaving Eragon staring wordlessly between her and Arya.

_Why do you always manage to put yourself in situations with little solutions? _Saphira asked as she closed her wing protectively around Eragon again. Eragon silently nodded in acknowledgement as he closed his eyes willing himself to fall back to the darkness where he will be blissfully free from thought.

**Translations: "**_Vel einradhin iet" "Upon my word"_

**AN: Well, I might have earned some discontent from ExArya fans but I still stand by what I said, you guys will not be disappointed. Just enjoy the rocky road for now ^^. **

**I'd like to thank everyone that dropped off those wonderful reviews on my last chapter. They keep me going! And truthfully they inspire me to write more and update faster so if you guys need faster updates, just keep reviewing :).**

**: , Really glad you find this intriguing and I hope I can continue to keep up your interest in the upcoming chapters :D.**

**:FanGlut01, I don't plan on giving up on this easily so you can rest easy ^^**

**:eragon0123, Thanks for pointing out those errors, hope I have corrected em in this chapter!**

**:Tsukune08, Found myself agreeing with you a little so I changed some plans I had for Arya's character :). Hope you will continue to look forward to my releases.**

**:CrescentSnow, Thankyou! Hope the later chapters will be as interesting as interesting to you guys as it is now.  
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**: Vaedhiv, I actually tried putting the meaning of the Ancient language right next to it however it just seemed to lose something when I do it. Don't worry though, There will not be much usage of the Ancient language other than some pretty basic stuff and the spells. Hope you look forward to my future chapters :).**

**Oh and btw the idea for the name of Aldor's dragon, Vulthuryol was taken from Skyrim, thought I should mention it.**

**Will be updating soon! Looking forward to more reviews so keep em comin :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the wait guys, I just had a lot of work piled up which I had to do if I wanted to keep up with my classes. **

**CHAPTER 4**

Eragon sighed as he returned to his tent. He had spent the entire morning recounting everything that had transpired in the battlegrounds four days ago. Nasuada, King Orrin, Jörmundur and Nar Garzhvog had not taken the news well. The prospect of having a Rider who was more powerful than Galbatorix as an enemy only served to rob them of their hope. The only comfort they had was that Aldor had sworn in the Ancient Language that he will not harm the Varden or Eragon for some time at least. However the fact that Galbatorix was allowed to do as he wanted still worried them to no end. It was a relief when Nasuada decided to use the time to replenish their supplies and send word to King Orik to enlist the help of the dwarves. Meanwhile Blödhgarm and his elves were sent back to Ellesmera along with Aeraela to inform the Queen of the new developments and mobilize the elven army.

Eragon picked up the Golden Eldunari which was wrapped a piece of cloth and protected by wards he had placed around it. He tried to contact the Dragon's again wincing slightly as he felt the usual rush of pain and anger that surrounded him. He spent as much time as he could inside the Dragon's consciousness trying to draw Glaedr out but withdrew before the pain threatened to overwhelm him. Sighing in frustration he placed the Eldunari inside one of Saphira's saddle bags and lay back on the bed. Saphira had left earlier in the morning in search of prey since she had been complaining the Varden's livestock was far too little for her liking. He was waiting for her to get back so they could spend the evening flying. As he lay their waiting suddenly a blinding pain flashed across his chest from his wound. He grimaced and gripped the corner of the bed and waited for it to pass. It only lasted a few seconds but he felt it as if he just received the cut only moments ago, he felt the pain vanish and he looked down at his jagged scar on his chest. It had stopped bleeding now but it always opened at times he least expected it, much like the wound he had received from Durza. The Elves and Angela had done all they could but they couldn't do anything to help ease the pain. It didn't bother him much now though, he was not a stranger to pain anymore and he doubted there was any point in worrying about it as he knew it was impossible to cure it by anything short of a miracle, much like the time the Dragon's had changed him during the Blood Oath festival and as Saphira had said, one miracle was one too many. So he accepted the pain and as time went by, he eventually got used to it. He closed his eyes and eventually drifted to sleep.

**PoV change**

_He was standing on top of a hill looking at a grand City. He was too far away to make out the inside of the city but the air shimmered due to the enchantments surrounding it. The sky was filled with Dragons of all sizes and colors. Beside him, he heard a female voice quietly humming. _All of the sudden, the scene changed, _The sky was dyed deep red, he was standing in the middle of the ruins of a once grand city, a blue sword gripped in his right hand. Human and elf corpses were strewn around the streets mixed with Dragons who had died protecting their Riders. Sorrow gripped his heart as he walked through the streets. In the middle of the crossroads, a lone figure was standing, holding a white blade coated with blood and a crazed expression on its face. A large Red dragon was next to it with its head bowed low in sorrow. The figure looked right at him as he made his way towards it, sword held at the ready. It screamed in agony and charged at him with an unbelievable speed. He held his palm out and tried to initiate a spell but suddenly the Red Dragon was upon him, its huge maw open, roaring ferociously and he felt his sword get knocked out of his hand a blinding pain on his shoulder._

**PoV change**

Eragon woke with a start, his face covered in sweat. He took a couple of minutes to calm himself as he thought about what he had just seen. The city he had seen had to be Vroengard and the figure he had seen clutching the white blade had to be Aldor. His head spinning as he tried to collect his thoughts, the dream had been too vivid, it had almost felt like he was watching the memory of someone else. As he lay on his bed he heard the beating of wings outside, announcing Saphira's return. Deciding to talk it over with Saphira he got up and strapped Brisingr onto his hip and shouldered Saphira's saddle bag with Glaedr's Eldunari. On his way out he stopped by a mirror and glanced at his reflection. He got a jolt of surprise as he saw his right eye was not the usual brown, instead it was gleaming a bright Sapphire blue. But just as he was edging closer to the mirror to get a better look at it, it darkened until it finally returned to its original color. He watched the mirror for a few more seconds but nothing changed.

_Eragon? What's wrong? _Saphira asked through their mental link.

_I'll tell you about it in a second Saphira, for now let us get away from the camp. I'm anxious to get away from the camp and be back in the skies._ Eragon smiled as he felt Saphira's contentment wash over him at his words.

Eragon opened the tent flap and made a beeline to Saphira.

"Shadeslayer!" he was stopped by a musical voice seemed to resonate throughout his body, heart beating slightly faster he recognized the voice to be none other than Arya. "Angela asked me to give you this if you're scar pains you again, she said it will help relieve the pain." She handed him a small vial containing a green liquid like substance. She regarded him with an odd expression on her face for a few seconds she said quietly "Good to see you're back on your feet again." She turned to walk away.

"Arya…I" Eragon's voice caught up in his throat as he felt another jolt of pain run across his chest, he tried to hide it and wait for it to pass but this time it lasted a lot longer than any of his last spasms he had, he felt his legs grow weak and give way underneath him and he felt soft hands gently catch him before he fell to the ground. Then, just as suddenly as it started, it stopped, leaving him panting heavily on the ground. He felt Saphira gently brush her snout against his face and using her neck for support he stood up.

**PoV change**

"Eragon, lift up your shirt now right now." Arya said in a stern voice, Eragon looked at her as if she had gone mad then, suddenly realizing what she was going to do, mumbled something inaudibly and looked away blushing slightly. "What?" Arya asked curiously.

_He says he will do it himself_ Saphira answered in place of Eragon giving a low rumble that was unmistakably laughter.

"Just do it Eragon." Arya's face showed she was not going to let him his way on this one. Eragon helplessly looked at Saphira and muttered something in private through their link. _Eragon I will not let you move an inch unless you let Arya do her job, if you try to do it on your own you will not be able to cover the entire wound._ Arya felt a smile tug on her lips as Saphira had included her in addition to Eragon in her reply and by the horrified look on his face; he had realized Arya had heard Saphira too. Dropping his shoulders in defeat he pulled his shirt off.

"Sit."

Saphira was rumbling louder now and small jets of fire were issuing from her mouth as she was having a hard time controlling her laughter at her Rider's embarrassment. Eragon leaned against Saphira and obeyed her. Arya took the vial from the ground beside her and she pulled off the cork careful not to spill any of it. She turned towards Eragon and her face visibly softened as she carefully poured the contents around the scar, using her free hand to wipe away some of the liquid that splashed around it. Her heart skipped a couple of beats as her hand made contact with his skin. When the liquid was finished she stood up again. "Better?"

"I think so, it itches a lot though." Eragon replied.

"It should be working then. Eragon where…" she stopped in mid-sentence as she made eye contact. There, for a second, she saw what was unmistakably a flash of blue on his right eye.

"What's wrong?" Eragon asked.

"Nothing, I thought I saw something that's all." Arya replied

"Thanks for that Arya." Eragon said indicating his wound as he slipped his shirt back on. "Oh, and when I get back could you please visit me in my tent, I have something I need to ask you about."

"I will Shadeslayer" she replied and watched as Eragon leapt up on Saphira's saddle. Saphira loosed a roar before she pushed off the ground and flew in a Northern direction and Arya stood watching them for a few moments until she turned around to find herself face to face with Angela and Solembum the werecat purring softly.

"Well that was quite fun wasn't it?" Angela inquired happily.

"What are you talking about?" Arya asked guardedly, she liked Angela the least out of all the Varden due to her unpredictability and her uncanny ability of suddenly showing up when she was least expected.

"Oh I think you have some idea, but we'll leave it at that. I know how hard it is to get you Elves to speak your minds." Angela sighed dramatically causing Arya to nervously shift where she stood as she tried to find a way to steer the conversation away from the dangerous waters. "I take it the medicine worked?" Angela asked to her relief.

"I think so…is it permanent?" Arya asked curiously, Angela's medicine was a wonder even among Elves.

"We will have to wait and see." She replied winking. Arya sighed inwardly.

"I have some matters I need to attend, please excuse me" Arya said as she walked past her.

"Wait! I almost forgot, Solembum asked me to bring him to you, he wouldn't tell me why but I assume it's something important." Angela said looking at Solembum who hadn't said anything for the whole time.

_Indeed I do Shadeslayer, _the werecat's voice growled in her mind. _Listen to my words well for I will only say them once._

_Proceed_ Arya replied in her mind.

_Your friend will change in the near future, the one you know will cease to exist. However that cannot be allowed to happen, for Alagaesia needs him to reset the balance. Your choices will determine the final outcome, choose wisely._ With that, Solembum retreated back to his mind and sealed it off completely leaving Arya standing with a confused look on her face. She looked at Angela for an explanation.

"I don't know anything about what he said to you. After all, who know what goes on in a werecat's mind?" She asked brightly. "We will take our leave then princess." Arya was a little surprised at how she knew of her heritage but thought better about asking, after all, what was the point of trying to get answers from someone who always answers in riddles? Angela walked away humming merrily as Solembum padded after her. Arya stood thinking about what she had just heard and finally turned in the direction of her quarters.

**PoV change**

Eragon and Saphira were silent for a while as they stared at the surroundings; they had flown towards a cave situated high above the ground in a mountain. They silently watched the sky steadily darken as night approached. Eragon had just finished sharing his last dream involving the hooded figure and also the most recent dream he had concerning Vroengard. Both were trying to make sense of what they had seen.

_What do you think Saphira?_

_I don't know Eragon, something tells me the vision of Vroengard you saw cannot be discredited as a mere dream. It's as if I always knew what had happened but I can't seem to get the answer out._

_It's the same thing with me _Eragon replied shaking his head. He knew exactly what Saphira was talking about. It was as if he knew the answer but a wall in his mind separated him from accessing the information.

_About the hooded figure, it's strange but I do have some idea of who it is Eragon._

_Oh?_

_I know you also have the same idea Eragon, your hiding it from yourself. _Saphira was looking at him intently and he felt his heart sink as he realized the truth behind her words.

_But how can it be Saphira! There's no way that could be me._

_Think about it Eragon, why does he always wield Brisingr? Why does he know about Brom and his sacrifice? Most importantly, why does he know exactly how you felt during the battle? You may have tried to hide it from me Eragon but I know exactly what you felt. Our bond does not allow us to keep secrets. _Saphira ended smugly.

_I know Saphira…I'm sorry I tried to hide it, I just don't know what I should do._

_We don't have all the answers Eragon. But I do know there is some truth to his words. You are changing._

_I know I am, but is it good I am?_

_I'm not sure for now Eragon, we will have to wait and see. However, remember that you will always be my Rider and I trust you with all my heart. I know you will do what's right and with that thought alone I don't mind how much you change. You will always be the same to me._

Eragon smiled and stroked her neck absently.

_Besides, I kind of like you when you tear everything up in the battleground, you feel more like a dragon when you do _Saphira continued, her eyes twinkling.

_Hm, didn't think of that. _Eragon replied. They stayed without saying anything for a while until Saphira suggested they ought to start flying back, partly due to the rumble from Eragon's stomach indicating he was hungry. Eragon climbed on Saphira and they pushed off, flying at a comfortable pace while Eragon dreamily watched the skies feeling at peace.

_You should have seen your face when Arya told you to take off your shirt _Saphira suddenly remarked snapping Eragon out of his reverie. Eragon's ears turned red as he remembered and playfully tickled her behind her ears.

_I just never thought of the prospect of letting Arya see me without a shirt _Eragon replied embarrassed.

_Eragon! She's seen you without a shirt all the time when you were unconscious for those two days. It hardly makes a difference anymore. _Saphira said humorously.

_I know, it's just that…oh never mind. _Saphira was silent for a while until she finally spoke.

_What of that other one that's on your mind time to time?_

_Aeraela? I don't know Saphira, it's really confusing, she is young by Elven standards but I don't know exactly how old and I'm just torn between her and Arya. I don't even know what Arya is thinking half the time but I sometimes see hints of emotions I can't describe in her eyes. But that's it Saphira, it's just hints. With Aeraela I have a feeling that, I can understand what she thinks half the time and I feel like I can actually connect with her. Every time I see Arya though it just brings opens old wounds and at the same time I feel like my heart is torn again. _

_After all this time?_ Saphira asked after a short pause.

_Always._

They flew in silence until they reached the camp. Saphira gently landed outside the cook's tent and waited until Eragon went inside to take his food. Eragon came back with a plate laden with fruits and vegetables. Saphira had already eaten enough for the day so they slowly walked back to Eragon's tent which was situated a little distance away from the camp. Eragon nodded at his Calanon and the other two elves as they approached him. He knew they were waiting around for his return.

"Shadeslayer, I hope you will inform us before you go away again." Calanon murmured.

"Aye, I'm sorry Calanon; I had to get away from the camp for some time. The last few days I never had a chance to stretch my legs and fly with Saphira."

"Of course Shadeslayer, but just inform us the next time, it will let us rest easy knowing we can always come to your aid." Calanon said gently.

"Alright" Eragon smiled and ducked inside his tent while Saphira curled outside. He ate his fill and replaced Glaedr's Eldunari back in the tent and placed the protective wards around it. He thought he should expose Glaedr as much as he could to the outside world in hopes that it will finally bring him out of seclusion. He was hopeful, as he tried earlier in the day to make contact with Glaedr; the usual torrent of pain had diminished greatly. Although Glaedr still wouldn't speak with him he knew it was a sign that Glaedr was improving. He heard faint footsteps approach the tent and stop. The scent of crushed pine needles overpowered his other senses. 

"Eragon?" he heard a lilting musical voice which he instantly recognized as Arya.

"Aye, come in." Arya entered.

"You asked me to meet you here earlier." Arya watched him with a curious expression as he drew up a chair for her and gestured.

"Yes, I have something to show you if I may." Eragon said as he sat in front of her. Eragon reached a small tendril of thought into her mind, after a short pause she allowed him in and he shared his recent dreams as he had done with Saphira. He silently waited for her to speak.

"Eragon, that last dream you had, the one in Vroengard…the figure standing in the middle with the white sword…that was Aldor and Vulthuryol wasn't it?"

"I came to the same conclusion; do you have any idea about this?" Eragon inquired hopefully.

"I…I keep getting the feeling like I vaguely remember something but it keeps slipping my grasp." Arya replied, a thoughtful expression on her face. Eragon sighed hopelessly; he had thought Arya could have shed a light on the matter.

"The cloaked figure on the other hand, Eragon I find myself believing him. I feel we can trust him." Eragon looked up to find Arya looking at him with an expression that reminded him of his conversation with Saphira only hours ago. He waited patiently for her to elaborate but that seemed like she had said what she wanted to say.

"I think so too." Eragon murmured. Arya was silent for a while.

"Did your wound hurt again?" She asked. Her face softening slightly as she looked at him.

"No" Eragon replied, which was not entirely truthful it had hurt a few times but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Arya looked at him, her face betraying nothing until she finally stood up.

"I will see you tomorrow then Shadeslayer."

"Yes, would you do the honor of sparring with me tomorrow?" Eragon asked hopefully. He saw a small smile on her face as she agreed and walked out. Eragon got up and stretched before going outside to curl up under Saphira's wing which he preferred to any bed the Varden had to offer. Saphira hummed contently as she draped her wing over him and together they gazed at the stars until finally they drifted to the land of dreams.

**AN: I finally feel like I have everything set up for the story to really progress. Looking forward to see how it turns out lol. Thanks for those wonderful reviews guys! I hope more and more people will keep reviewing. It's my source of inspiration. The more reviews you guys leave, the faster I will update :D (yes I am rather simple minded xD). I probably will be updating before the week is out or possibly sooner if I don't get a huge workload assigned today. So keep your fingers crossed.**

**On an additional note, does anyone know how I can add a small symbol or something to separate the page to indicate PoV changes? It's annoying the crap out of me as each and every time the separators never show up and I dislike having to write "PoV change" to indicate it.**

**Once again, thank you everyone for taking the time to read this. Hope you guys will look forward to the next chapter! Until the next time :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

_Murtagh you're going to reveal yourself if you don't tread more carefully _Thorn's voice echoed in his head. He grimaced; he had taken a lot of risks in the past and never cared about his life, constantly searching for an excuse to pass into the void. But now he was more than worried about getting killed.

_I know Thorn; just keep a look-out. _He felt Thorn's worry pour through their link as he gave the equivalent of a mental nod and fell silent. Over the past week since Aldor had left since rebinding him to Galbatorix, he had never once sent for Murtagh. In fact, Murtagh felt the dark King was avoiding him. While this may have been a welcome change in the past, it only worried him to no end now. Since the beginning, Aldor had made it clear to Galbatorix that Eragon was not to be killed and the Varden should not be allowed to be wiped out, it was only the oaths binding Galbatorix to Aldor that had held him in place. But since he had released Galbatorix from those bonds Murtagh was getting more and more worried as the days passed due to the mere fact that Galbatorix was not up to his usual hobbies. Murtagh crept silently along the dark hallway leading to the Throne room. Thorn was perched on a tower outside, a considerable distance away from the main castle making sure no one got through the entrance leading to the hallway without him seeing. Murtagh paused just outside the doors as he thought how he could figure out what was going on inside. He tried all the spells he knew, including a particularly complicated enchantment that enables the user to see through solid objects as if it were glass but got nothing. The door's wards prevented any enchantments from penetrating it.

_Thorn! These wards are blocking all of my spells._

_Circle around to the back. _

_Aye, I'm on my way._ Murtagh turned around and started walking away when suddenly he heard the doors open and felt a stabbing pain in his head. The pain was gone as quickly as it came and breathing deeply he turned around to find Galbatorix sneering at him.

"Got curious I see?"

Murtagh looked back at him coldly. Galbatorix laughed eerily. "I know you have been treading around for some time now." His grin widened as he got a crazed look on his face. "Come in then my precious Rider." With that he turned around and gestured inside.

_Be careful _he heard Thorn silently mutter through their link. They were utterly cornered and Murtagh had no choice but to obey. He followed the King inside warily taking note of four tall hooded figures standing in the middle of the room.

"You can reveal yourselves now." Galbatorix said as he settled himself on his throne.

In unison, the four figures pushed back their hoods and Murtagh gasped.

"Shades!"

All four of them had flaming red hair and their eyes were a dark maroon. They were all lean and had pale white, almost translucent skin.

"I finally succeeded in finding suitable magicians who can summon spirits strong enough to turn into shades." Galbatorix said gleefully like a child that had just received a new toy. Turning to the four shades he said "You have your orders, do not fail me."

They all bowed low and retreated out of the room. Murtagh shuddered inwardly as he watched them go. One shade alone was difficult enough, but four at once? Unable to shake off the growing fear in his stomach he turned to find the King watching him.

"Didn't Aldor make it clear Eragon or the Varden were not to be harmed?"

Galbatorix laughed. "Lord Aldor released me from my bonds, I can do whatever I wish to." He paused, "However, I will honor his wishes."

Murtagh's felt his fear growing as he waited for the King to continue.

"Lord Aldor did tell me to…hurt the little whelp using any…unconventional methods" Galbatorix grinned as he said it. "All those around him will die, except him."

Murtagh was silent for a long time, thoughts running wild in his head. The only thing that stood out clearly in his mind was Nasuada's face. He had to warn them, he had to warn the Varden. He had to protect Nasuada.

"Well then Murtagh I have a task for you." Murtagh looked on wearily _what does he want to make me do now?_

"You will take the last remaining egg in my possession and you will find me its rider." Galbatorix said before walking out of the room. _He must be getting desperate to please Aldor _Thorn's voice echoed scornfully through their link as he relayed this new bit of information to him. Murtagh silently agreed. Then an idea clicked in his mind. Galbatorix's haste to please Aldor may actually work in his favor. Just as he thought of it, he felt a curious sensation, as though a huge weight was suddenly lifted off him for a few seconds.

_Murtagh? Did you feel that too?_

_Aye, I did._

_What was that? I felt for a moment as if I was…_Thorn paused but Murtagh knew what he was going to say.

_Free? _Murtagh asked.

_Yes!_

_Aye I did too but the sensation's gone now, but this will help. Thoughts of defying Galbatorix and Aldor terrify me but I feel…I need to step up and protect those I care for. I'm done being a coward Thorn. Eragon did mention it is possible to change your true name. If I dare believe it, I think I may be on the path to change it by my defiance._

_We will do it Murtagh. I'm sure of it. _Murtagh smiled a little as he felt Thorn's joy flood into his mind.

_But wait, even if my true name changes, won't they have control over you? _Murtagh asked in apprehension, in his excitement he had forgotten about that.

_My name will change when yours does Murtagh, when the true name changes you yourself will become a different person, you will be my Rider but you are not the same person I hatched for. So my true name will be changed as soon as yours does. Our bond is far too strong to be limited by the Ancient Language. _Murtagh sighed in relief. Suddenly he heard heavy footsteps echoing which announced the dark King was back. He strode in carrying a beautiful Green Egg flecked with small dark Emerald webs that seemed to stretch around it.

"Do not fail me Murtagh, or it is your dragon that will be the next pupil of my…lessons." Murtagh kept his face unreadable as he knelt in front of him. He did not fear the King or Aldor anymore, he could change. All he needed was the correct moment. The King held out the egg and Murtagh carefully accepted it. Yes, he could use the egg to gain the leverage he needed with the Varden.

_Murtagh, we need to take care and not let the egg hatch for anyone in the empire. We need this to gain Eragon and Saphira's trust._

_Aye, I will work something out. _

"You will do well not to fail me Murtagh" Galbatorix said watching him closely.

Murtagh turned to leave before Galbatorix suddenly said "Swear upon your word as a rider you will do your task."

Murtagh's breathing stopped. If he bound himself to another oath now he wouldn't be able to put his plan into motion.

_Choose your words carefully Murtagh! We need this egg_ Thorn warned him anxiously in his head. Murtagh thought a little and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind. Praying it will work he said in the Ancient Language. "I will find this dragon's rider…_ Vel einradhin iet ai Shur'tugal_"

"Good, and be ready within four days to attack the Varden. You will serve as a good distraction."

"Yes, your majesty."

Apparently satisfied the King dismissed him with a wave of his hand. He slowly walked out fighting to hide the grin forming in his face. _You bound yourself again_…Thorn trailed off in his mind. He could tell Thorn thought he had gone crazy.

_I did…What were my words?_ He smiled as he felt Thorn's realization.

_You only promised him you will find the Rider! You didn't mention anything about the Rider being from the Empire. _Murtagh chuckled.

_Aye, I'm surprised it worked, however we need to move fast. Galbatorix might figure it out and we need to make our move before he does it. _

_What of the shades?_

Murtagh thought for a moment. _It's too dangerous to try to warn them of the attack. I don't want to get found out now, especially when we are so close to breaking these oaths. We will be joining in the attack on the Varden. The shades will probably use the opportunity to kill their targets. We will attack then. _He paused thinking hard. _We will need to change our true names at that moment so that Galbatorix will not have the time to react._

_You have a plan to change the name? _Thorn asked curiously.

_Aye, it will work. Even now I feel the chains weakening. I don't want to work on it now, if we break free now Galbatorix might be able to imprison us again. We need to do this carefully._

Murtagh stepped outside and surveyed the black night sky, his hand protectively covering. His gaze fell on a red star that was twinkling brightly. Thorn was crouching near the entrance where he was standing and as he made his way towards him, he muttered quietly, "I will prove I am not that bastard's son."

* * *

><p><em>Wake up little one, you slept for far too long. <em>Eragon stirred sleepily underneath Saphira's wing. _You don't want to keep the princess waiting now do you? _Eragon took a moment to understand Saphira's words. With growing horror he peered cautiously over the tip of the wing. There, standing with an amused look on her face was Arya.

"About time you graced us with your presence Shadeslayer."

Eragon's face went bright red as he hurriedly crawled out from under Saphira. He straightened up and stood uncertainly unsure of what to do as he heard Saphira snorting in amusement behind him.

"Blodhgarm and the others have returned and they are with Nasuada right now. She wanted me to find you." Arya said with the same amused look on her face.

Wordlessly Eragon strode inside his tent and strapped Brisingr on. He returned outside to find Saphira stretching and yawning.

_I'm going to go for my morning hunt little one. When I return we will go flying?_

_Of course, but it will have to wait until I spar against Arya._ He then patted her snout affectionately and stood back as she pushed off and flew in a Southern direction. He watched her go for a while until he turned back to see Arya watching him curiously. He caught a strange mixture of emotions when his brown eyes met her emerald ones. He was unsure how to describe it but he felt a strange longing fill him as he gazed at her. Suddenly she looked away, breaking eye contact.

"Let us be on our way" She said slowly starting to walk in the direction of Nasuada's quarters.

Eragon slowly walked with her enjoying her unique scent, allowing himself to be immersed in it completely. They walked together in comfortable silence. Soon, they came in sight of a small boy who was crying. Eragon walked up to him and crouched down smiling. The boy looked up in fear and tried to run away but slipped in the mud in his hurry. A rather large wound was present on his left arm which was bleeding badly. Ignoring the child's look of terror he gently traced the wound with his fingers and muttered "_Waise Heill_", healing the wound. The boy looked up at him in awe and back down at his arm which was now clear as if he never had the scar.

"How did you get hurt?"

The boy struggled for a minute to speak, then finally stammered "Th…that dagger, I w..was..only playing with it." He pointed towards a small dagger that was lying on the ground a few feet away from him. Eragon picked it up and slid it behind his belt.

"Don't play with sharp things again" he said pretending to look stern and when the boy looked scared again he hitched his face into a grin. "Get going then." He said ruffling the boy's hair. He looked up at Eragon and smiled before turning and running, probably on his way to his mother. Sighing Eragon turned to continue on his way with Arya only to find her looking at him again. She had a small smile on her face which made Eragon's heart race faster than it ever had and he awkwardly shuffled his feet when she gave no indication of looking away. Becoming increasingly self-conscious he looked down at his feet. "What is it Arya?" he asked still determinedly looking anywhere but at her as he didn't feel like showing her his face which he knew was probably red by now.

She waited a while before she said, "You are a strange one Eragon" and resumed walking in a slow pace. Eragon tread after her slowly. There it was again! The continuous shift between 'Shadeslayer' and 'Eragon' was irritating him. Then there was the way her voice changed as she spoke seconds ago. Her voice was not brisk, quiet or emotionless as he was accustomed to, but it was almost…tender. It was the first time he had heard her speak in that way. Suddenly Arya stopped in front of him and with a jolt of surprise he found himself standing in front of Nasuada's tent with the Nighthawks around it. Cursing himself for being so absent minded he ducked in after Arya and straightened up looking up at the people assembled in front of him. Blodhgarm, Nasuada, Jörmundur, and King Orrin were looking at him expectantly. To their side on a wide scrying mirror was Queen Islanzadi. After bowing before Nasuada and the Queen he initiated the elven greeting. Everyone stayed quiet until he was finished and after he backed away and went to stand next to Arya Nasuada spoke.

"We received word from King Orik. The Dwarves will be with the Varden in about four days, they have started marching today." She said, her face showing obvious relief. The Varden had some trouble getting supplies to enable them to be fit for war and any reinforcements were welcome. "We are finally fit for battle though; all of our men are adequately equipped. Roran Stronghammer will be leaving tomorrow at dawn to capture the city of Aroughs with his company along with a few urgals and one sorcerer." Eragon nodded his assent, he had a feeling that Nasuada was reluctant to tell him about his cousin's missions but he knew that Roran could handle himself well against any of the empire's soldiers. If they did get into trouble he would know through his ring. Suddenly he felt a sharp spasm of pain across his chest causing him to stumble and grip the table until it passed.

"Eragon, if you need more time before battle I will understand. Angela tells me her medicine is not permanent and that it only relieves your pain for a couple of hours." Nasuada's face was etched with worry as she looked at him. All around him he felt sympathetic looks and he saw Arya looking at him sadly. He grimaced.

"I am ready for battle my lady. It does not cripple me so I am able to fight." Eragon said, his voice had a hard edge to it.

Nasuada regarded him for a moment. "That is good to know."

"Shadeslayer, I received word from Blodhgarm about all that transpired. I have sent something for you which Oromis had left in my possession. He asked me to give this to you when the time is right and I believe it is now. Blodhgarm, if you will."

Blodhgarm stepped outside the tent for a moment and returned holding a long, thin object which was carefully wrapped in a long piece of cloth. He held it out with both hands to Eragon which he accepted looking at it curiously. He removed the piece of cloth and gasped. There was a perfect replica of Brisingr in size and shape. However, instead of the Sapphire blue, it was a dark, stormy grey complete with a purple gem at its pommel. It had a scabbard right next to it adorned with the elven ruins. "_Fuin_" he murmured as he lifted the sword. It felt right, as if he was picking up a long lost companion. He felt an inexplicable joy pass through him as he looked at it. He slid it into the scabbard and laid it in the table in front of him. He looked directly at Islanzadi. "Did Oromis ebrithil mention why he left this for me? Or why he did not choose to give it to me when I was in Ellesmera?"

"No, he did not. I asked him why but he told me it was a secret of the Rider's. Even as the Queen I am not to pry into the Rider's secrets so I held my questions."

Eragon was silent. If only Glaedr was awake he could ask him what this meant. The sword did trouble him though. The name, '_Fuin_' meant 'darkness' or 'the essence of darkness'. He found it hard to accept that such a sword could be a suitable companion for him. What further increased his uncertainty was how _right_ it felt when he picked it up. It felt like a perfect match for Brisingr. He had felt like an unknown part of him had surfaced.

"About Aldor, do you have any idea who it could be?" He looked at Islanzadi and for the first time, he saw worry on her face. "Aeraela showed me the memory of the fight and I shudder to think what might have happened if he had attacked."

"I don't have any answers your majesty." Eragon replied, looking downcast.

"We will have to tread cautiously…this war…may have escalated higher than we had ever expected. I have sent word to my people to prepare for battle. We will also join the Varden once our forces have gathered."

"We look forward to it, your majesty." Eragon replied thankfully. The elves support might just change the tide of future battles. Islanzadi smiled at him, then the scrying spell ended leaving the mirror blank.

"Very well, you are all dismissed." Nasuada said. She sat down with King Orrin and Jörmundur while Arya and Blodhgarm walked out. Eragon carefully wrapped the sword again and walked after the elves. Once outside he was surprised to find his usual guards place themselves protectively around him and Arya, happy to be back on the duty of guarding the Dragon Rider.

"To the sparring grounds then Shadeslayer?" Arya asked. He looked at her and saw her face filled with excitement. He smiled, he knew that Arya had been looking forward to a good match against the Rider. He himself was looking forward to it. He wanted to know how well he can manage against Arya, who had utterly defeated him in their first match.

"Aye" He replied. He looked down at the grey sword. He felt the need to try it in battle.

He gently opened his mind to contact Saphira. He had felt their connection getting stronger which meant that she was returning to the Varden.

_Saphira? Are you on your way back?_

_Yes little one. I will be there soon. _She replied. Not wanting to waste any more time, he shared the memories of all that happened in Nasuada's tent. Saphira fell silent for a moment.

_Eragon, I think you shouldn't worry about using Fuin, Oromis has to have a reason for leaving it for you. _

_Aye, I will. If only Glaedr was awake…_he trailed off. Brushing his thoughts aside he said _Me and Arya are going to spar now. Will you be there? _

_Wouldn't miss it for the world _She replied humorously.

They reached the sparring grounds where there were both men and women of the warden sparring and practicing archery. "Arya, Saphira wants to be there so shall we wait for her?"

"Of course."

Eragon slid the grey sword out of its scabbard and practiced a few moves with it. Twirling, stabbing and parrying against an unseen enemy. He was pleased with the way it moved. It was almost the same as Brisingr. However he felt a distinct difference, his attacks slowly grew more ferocious as he slowly lost himself in the imaginary battle dancing faster than normal eyes could follow. He went into a perfectly controlled combination of slashes which he finished with a particularly downward slash. The force of the strike was so powerful that after a slight delay, it cleaved the Earth in front of him apart, stretching for a short distance in front of him. He looked on in surprise and when he turned around he saw everyone around had stopped what they were doing and were watching him. All of them, even the elves had expressions of awe making his ears grow hot. His eyes suddenly fell on Aeraela who he only just noticed. She was looking at him closely with a similar expression of awe in her eyes. She smiled at him as they made eye contact causing his heart to beat faster making him look away, only to have his eyes fall on look Arya. He groaned inwardly. Both these elves were going to be the death of him.

_You've got that right_ Saphira's voice chuckled in his mind. He looked around to find Saphira had already arrived. _You were so focused on your practice; it didn't feel right to disturb you. I am proud of how much you have grown. _She said fondly causing his ears to further grow hotter in his embarrassment.

"Shadeslayer! That was the best form of swordplay I have ever seen." Calanon cried, his face was bright with joy. The soldiers of the Varden were cheering as they looked on. Arya walked onto the field, her eyes twinkling brightly, sword drawn in one hand with a shield on her other hand. The field fell silent again. Almost everyone around the field had seen Arya in battle and they knew she was a swordsman like no other, even among elven standards. Eragon went to get his shield but then looked down at Brisingr and then at Fuin. He did not feel right without Brisingr.

_Use both then_ a voice suddenly echoed in his mind. His head snapped up and looked around. It definitely wasn't Saphira as the voice was distinctly male. It made sense so he didn't dwell on it. Disregarding his shield he drew Brisingr from its scabbard and held it in his right hand, transferring Fuin to his left. He blunted the edges of the swords with magic as Arya did the same with hers. All around him the people were looking on in amazement. Using two swords was not unheard of but nevertheless it was not one that was seen every day. He had never fought with two swords before but something told him to improvise during the battle. As he walked onto the field again he suddenly felt like holding Brisingr in backhanded. He did so and crouched in front of Arya with Fuin held menacingly in front of him.

* * *

><p>Arya looked on wearily as she edged closer to him and looked him in the some unspoken signal, both simultaneously circled each other slowly, taking note of the others defenses and weaknesses. Suddenly, Arya dashed at him and slashed horizontally at an impossible speed. Eragon nimbly brought vertically upwards turning swiftly to face behind him. Sparks flew as the swords met. Not allowing time for her to retreat, he turned again slashing with Fuin which Arya blocked with her shield; she recoiled as the force of his strike momentarily weakened her shield arm. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Brisingr hurtling towards her exposed neck. She jumped back a few feet disengaging from Eragon. She had never seen Eragon fight so ferociously before; she looked at Eragon and saw he was grinning. She narrowed her eyes and moved more cautiously. Eragon crouched low again and edged closer. Seeing she had grown more wearily Eragon ran at her. As soon as he reached her he suddenly dropped low and turned Brisingr upwards, aiming at her shield. She immediately blocked it but Eragon suddenly brought Fuin up and smashed at her shield again. She felt her shield splinter as she quickly swung her sword in a downward slash which was immediately blocked again by Brisingr making an ear splitting sound. The force of the strike caused the grass around them to be blown backwards. She again retreated. This was getting too much for her shield. She tossed her shield away and gripped her sword with both hands. She looked curiously at Eragon. He was still grinning and she saw with a jolt that Fuin was glowing with a small purple aura while Brisingr was flaming slightly in the blue flames. She closed her eyes and calmed her heartbeat. Eragon had gone back into his original crouching position. Again they circled each other.<p>

* * *

><p>Eragon felt the excitement of battle coursing through his veins. Using both swords was something that came to him naturally. He was surprised at how well he could use both together. He regarded Arya, she had been growing increasingly cautious as the duel had progressed and he knew he was pushing her back bit by bit. He edged closer to her until he suddenly lunged at her. She immediately dodged his first strike and blocked the next with her sword. She had gotten faster since abandoning her shield. They started weaving in and out of each other's defenses as both blocked and dodged again and again. Sparks were flying every few seconds as all around them the Varden were cheering on the fight. As Eragon increased the force of his strikes more and more as they kept it up and he felt her defenses weakening little by little and her speed gradually getting slower. She growled suddenly and doubled back hurtling back at him with increased force, she slashed again and Eragon blocked it with Brisingr. He felt his arm weakening as he realized his mistake of blocking with his backhand. Immediately he saw her sword swinging around at his neck which he dodged by leaning backwards. Suddenly, he felt his speed get faster as Brisingr suddenly flared brighter and Fuin also got surrounded with a veil of purple flames. He slashed up wards with Fuin as Arya blocked it but the force of his strike was too much. Her sword flew out of her hand to the cheers of the Varden. Unable to stop himself he felt his arm move Brisingr horizontally to strike at her exposed midsection. "NO!"he growled suddenly as he felt the enchantments that were blunting the edges of the swords were absent and jerked his arm upwards away from Arya and kicked her away from his sword causing him to stumble as he felt Fuin slide out of his grasp. He felt a blinding pain on his shoulder as he hit the ground, Brisingr still held in front of him. He bit back a cry as he felt Brisingr dig deep into his chest against his scar causing it to open up again. The pain was too much as he cried out. Suddenly he felt someone gently pry Brisingr out which was indented in his chest and he felt an immense relief as the pain was erased slowly. He opened his eyes to find Aeraela kneeling at his side, healing his wound with Arya hovering above her, Brisingr held in her arms with blood dripping from it. Both of them had extremely worried expressions on their faces as they looked at him. After he took a moment for the pain to subside he sat up. Saphira was nuzzling his shoulder comfortingly as he gently patted her snout.<p>

"The victor is Eragon Shadeslayer!" Someone cried from the crowd that was gathered and the Varden cheered loudly. Amidst the cheering Arya crouched in front of him laying Brisingr by his side.

"That was the best match I ever had in a while Eragon." Then her face grew serious. "What happened? If you hadn't kicked me away you wouldn't have gotten hurt. I wouldn't have gotten hurt too much."

"I felt the enchantments on the swords disappear. If my sword had made contact with you I would have caused you more harm than I would ever have intended." She looked surprised as she felt the edges of Fuin which was lying in front on the ground in front of him. She looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Eragon, were you aware of setting Brisingr and Fuin ablaze?"

"No! I had no idea. I didn't even say _Brisingr_" he cursed loudly as Brisingr suddenly flared again in front of him causing him to jerk backwards as he felt his side burn heat up suddenly. Aeraela suddenly burst out laughing at his surprised expression, even Arya managed a smile. All around him the people including some of the elves were laughing at his expression. After a moment he grinned sheepishly as he stood up. Saphira immediately pushed him back down to the ground and licked him affectionately causing everyone to laugh again.

_I'm going to tie you to my saddle if I have to but you're coming to fly with me right now!_ Saphira said. Eragon felt her pride and fondness of her Rider flow through their mental link causing him to grin again. He nodded and climbed on Saphira and took to the skies to the cheers of the Varden.

_Eragon, you will have to learn to control your power better._

_I know_. Eragon replied stroking her neck causing her to hum contently. _You're one to talk too, you almost set me ablaze once with your fire_. Laughing as he felt Saphira's indignation he buried his face on her neck and closed his eyes. The duel had taken a lot out of him and he peacefully drifted to his waking dreams as Saphira sped on in the evening sky.

**AN: Alright guy I'm truly sorry for taking so long to update. It's like my professors were waiting until I started on this fic to pile homework on us. I will be updating much sooner once I have spring break which is the week after next. I will be adding chapter 6 by this week so look forward to it!**

**On a side note, I'm surprised people make connections to the grey folk :O. I never mentioned anything about them have I? The grey folk WILL be making an appearance somewhere in my story, no point denying that :D. But I don't think in the way most of you are expecting it to. Don't want to say much more or I'll spoil the surprise. So read on!**

**Thankyou for all the reviews again guys :) and special thanks to Dagibsta for letting me know how to add separators. I never actually bothered with the editing page lol. **

**Please keep reviewing guys. As I keep saying, they make me happy xD and me happy = faster updates.**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

_Eragon._

Eragon slowly opened his eyes squinting slightly. All around him there was only darkness. He noticed a slight weight on his left hand and he looked down surprised to find he was gripping Fuin lightly. Thankful for the sword at his side he looked around searching for the source of the voice. Suddenly, he heard the metallic sound of a sword being slid out of a scabbard and whirled around unsheathing Fuin. There, standing in front of him was the cloaked figure holding Brisingr. Eragon stared at him for a few seconds before he shrugged and slid Fuin back to his side.

_Oh? You trust me enough to leave yourself unguarded in my presence?_ The figure asked. He walked closer to Eragon still aiming Brisingr at his neck.

_You're never going to harm me. Although I don't know exactly how you came to be, I do know you are a part of me as Saphira is. _

_How wise. _The figure chuckled _When did you figure it out?_

Eragon mutely regarded the figure before him. Both of them stood facing each other oblivious to time. Finally he lowered Brisingr

_Well then, there is no need for this now right? _The figure said and for the first time Eragon truly recognized his voice, he had suspected this from the first time he met him but he wasn't sure if he was ready for it. His voice had a curious calming melody to it. He distinctly remembered Roran telling him how sometimes his own voice had a musical note to it just like the elves. Slowly the figure drew back the hood of his grey cloak as Eragon looked on in amazement. There, standing before him was the splitting image of himself. The only difference was in his eyes; his right eye was a brilliant sapphire blue while the left was a gleaming light shade of violet. Other than that they were identical in every aspect. Neither spoke as they looked at each other. Finally the figure spoke.

_I'm sorry for never revealing myself to you all those past years. We grew up together I saw and experienced everything you did but until recently I never had reason to trouble you with my presence. That is the way we are, most of our people sometimes go on their whole lives never learning about his or her other self._ Eragon noticed how his tone was almost pleading.

_Our people? _Eragon asked curiously.

_Aye, our father will explain it all to you Eragon. When he first met you on the night you left Carvahall with him, he called out to me while you were asleep. It was easy for me to gain control of your consciousness. He was the only one that knew of my existence. He explained everything to me and told me to reveal myself to you when the time was right._

Eragon was silent for a few minutes as he processed everything he heard. It was threatening to overwhelm him and he did his best to suppress the amount of questions that sprang on his head.

_Can't you show me the memory of when he spoke to you?_

The figure visibly grew troubled and he looked at Eragon with a pained expression on his face.

_No, he made me swear I will not reveal anything about him to you even after you became aware of me. He wanted to explain everything to you himself and it was far too dangerous to reveal everything to you at that time._

_Dangerous?_ Eragon snapped. He was getting angrier by the second; _well then what is it I am in the middle of now? I have no idea what is going on half the time in this war and now I'm not sure that I know who I am anymore. Oh, and Brom was going to explain everything to me? How convenient seeing as how he's DEAD! _Eragon bellowed the last word shaking in fury.

_Eragon listen to me, there is still a way for you to speak with him._

Shock covered Eragon's face at his words. He fell silent as he regarded the figure waiting for him to continue.

_The Vault of Souls…do you remember it?_

_The Vault of Souls? Solembum once told me to go there when all seemed lost._ Eragon chuckled darkly. _I guess now's the time eh?_

_Brom is waiting for you there; once we get there he will answer all of your questions. It is there we will find the final piece that completes us. _

_The final piece?_

_Do you not feel there is still something missing? A void that neither Saphira nor myself can fill? _

Eragon fell silent as he mulled over what he heard. He couldn't explain it but he knew what he was hearing was true. _Do you know where it is? The Vault of Souls?_

_I don't, my knowledge is after all limited to what you know._

_And Brom never thought about mentioning its whereabouts?_ Eragon asked surprised.

_No_

_Way to make it difficult _Eragon muttered darkly. Eragon once again looked up at the figure to find his eyes on Fuin.

_May I?_

Eragon silently nodded and slid Fuin out and handed it to him. The figure gazed at it fondly stroking the blade. _I finally found you _he softly murmured. The figure wordlessly handed Brisingr to Eragon and as he took Brisingr from him it burst into bright blue flames while Fuin burst into purple flames.

_Fuin _Eragon said looking directly at the figure's eyes.

_Aye, that is my name, as your real name is Brisingr. _

_So that is my true name? Brisingr?_

Fuin laughed, _Honestly Eragon if I didn't know better I'd say you're the dimmest person I've met. Your true name is not Brisingr and neither is mine Fuin, we are the same being so we will share the same true name. I do think our true name will include both those words though._ Fuin added gazing thoughtfully at the distance._ No I meant that those are the names that were bestowed on us at the time of our birth._

_By whom?_ Eragon asked curiously.

_Who do you think? _Fuin sighed. _So many questions…_

_We need to find the way to the Vault of Souls Eragon, I fear that we are slowly running out of time and we need to be prepared before Aldor strikes back._

Eragon nodded and again both fell silent.

_Eragon, we are complete opposites of each other. _Eragon looked up to see Fuin looking at him seriously. _If I was to describe you, you are the flame while I am the darkness. Neither can exist without the other. The scales must never be tipped in favor of another. To attain the power that sleeps within us you have to harden yourself more, embrace the darkness. God knows when we will be in need of power._

_I don't know what you mean._

_You cannot bring yourself to control the darkness in your heart. You have already mastered Brisingr and your training as a Dragon Rider. But, if we are to win against that one…_Fuin's face contorted into a look of pure hatred _you will need to take on your inheritance, the power that was handed to you by our bloodline._

_But what can I do? _Eragon asked in a pained voice, he saw the truth in Fuin's words. The difference between him and the Empire's Dragon Riders were too great and he couldn't even hope to last more than a few seconds against Aldor. He shuddered inwardly as he remembered the moment when he was struck.

_You are already on the path Eragon, you are not as helpless as you think against Murtagh and Galbatorix. Aldor is a different matter but we can rest assured we have more time before confronting him. We have seen enough death and destruction to harden us beyond our years but there will come a moment when you will fall into the void within us. It is not something that neither I nor Brom ever want to see happen but it is crucial for it will determine the fate of Alagaesia depending on how much you can gain from it. When that moment comes to pass all we can do is watch you as you struggle against the darkness. You must try to remove your emotions and be prepared. _Fuin smiled sadly looking at him. _I must leave, the others might get worried if I keep you here for longer. If you ever need to find me I will be at your side. _Fuin slowly started to back away sheathing the grey sword back into the scabbard leaving Eragon standing with Brisingr in his hand.

_Wait! _Fuin looked around at him curiously.

There were so many things he needed to ask and he struggled trying to find the right question. After a few moments he asked, _Why? What are fighting for? Galbatorix I can understand but Aldor…_Eragon trailed off.

Fuin's face tightened and the gleam in both eyes disappeared replacing them with an icy, lifeless look. _Let's just say, our people had their differences with his people…they started this war causing the suffering of all the other races in Alagaesia. We should have died long ago._ With that, Fuin turned around and walked on raising his hand in parting, leaving Eragon to once again fall back into the void behind him.

* * *

><p>Eragon slowly opened his eyes getting used to the blue glow that surrounded him. Realizing he was under Saphira's wing again he gently tapped at her side and she lifted it off him. Not wanting to get up just then he sighed and leaned back against Saphira stroking her neck absently as he pondered the dream he had just seen. He looked down at the Varden camp from his vantage point on the hill overlooking the camp and with his elven eyes he noticed the small boy he had healed the other day playing with a ball. Saphira finally snaked her long neck around him and faced him. Suddenly she let out a snort of surprise. <em>Little one, what happened? <em>She asked in his mind tentatively.

_Eh? What's wrong Saphira?_ He asked looking back at her. In answer to his question she sent him an image of his face as she saw it. His right eye was now a brilliant Sapphire blue gleaming slightly while his left was an icy brown. He gasped in surprise and jumped to his feet and ran inside his tent. Grabbing a mirror he sat down on his bed and as he gazed down at it, two unsettling eyes stared back at him. He trailed his fingers around both eyes as he stared at his reflection unable to speak.

_Little one are you alright? _Saphira asked, worry emanating from their link. Eragon didn't answer for a few minutes before he got up and walked back outside replacing the mirror. He slumped down against Saphira and closed his eyes. After a few seconds he opened them again and looked at Saphira. She shook her head; he had hoped that could revert his eyes back to its original color. He looked back at the Varden camp wondering how on Earth he was going to explain this change.

_It's beautiful _Saphira remarked nuzzling his neck, _You look more handsome than ever before. I doubt Arya or that other elf would mind. _

_Saphira! _Eragon whined as she laughed in her curious way. Eragon fell silent again and he wordlessly poured in his dream through their link. Neither of them spoke for some time afterwards as both pondered over everything Fuin said.

_Fuin, I can hardly believe I wasn't even aware of him all this time _Saphira said thoughtfully.

_Neither was I _

_Even though we only realized it now, Fuin…I feel like I have always known about his existence but just couldn't find the right words to describe him. _Eragon said thoughtfully. Saphira nodded absently in acknowledgement.

_Do you think we could find the Vault of Souls? _Eragon asked warily.

_We can't think Eragon, we have to find it. We need to know what exactly is going on_. Eragon silently nodded. _Are you afraid? _Saphira asked gently.

_Of what?_

_What Fuin said, the time when you fall into the darkness in you. _Eragon didn't answer immediately. Truthfully, he was afraid. But he remembered Fuin's words as he knew he was going to have to face it if he needed to get stronger.

_I am, but I have you by my side. _Saphira licked his arm affectionately. Eragon started shaking uncontrollably. _Saphira, I am really afraid. I don't know how much more I can continue to lose, Garrow, Brom,Oromis…I only increase the number of people I care about and if any more die I don't know how I can continue on. _Saphira didn't say anything but she hummed sadly and wrapped her tail around him.

_We will make it Eragon, you are not the same farm boy from before. _Eragon managed a small smile at that. Suddenly Eragon exclaimed "Oromis!"

_What? _Saphira was looking at him in concern.

_Oromis left me Fuin, he must have known more about what was happening than me. He was after all, Brom's master. _

_I know little one but we can't speak to him, if anything he might be waiting with Brom in the Vault of Souls. _

_I know Saphira, but he left me all the scrolls along with the book that denotes the history of Alagaesia. If anything, there might be information about the Vault of Souls in that! _Eragon got up and ran back inside his tent. Searching feverishly he finally found a large book entitle _Domia abr Wyrda. _He walked back outside rifling through the pages. _It might be in here. I never read it properly but I will start on it whenever I have some time. _

_Little one! Put it away, I see someone approaching._ Eragon went back inside his tent and replaced the book and walked back to Saphira settling on the ground next to her. Suddenly he didn't feel like showing his face to the stranger so he bent his head and fixed his gaze on the ground.

"Shadeslayer! The Dwarves will soon be here, Lady Nasuada sent me to inform you of their arrival and to ask you to come tend to a small problem."

"Thank you, I will be there shortly." Eragon replied without looking up. After a few moments the messenger seemed to realize Eragon was not going to look up so he walked away. Eragon sighed as he looked sadly down at the Varden camp.

_Little one, you cannot hide your face to everyone now. I was not joking when I said it looks pleasing._

_I know Saphira, I just…don't want to explain myself._ Eragon replied.

_You will not have to. Tell the truth, that you don't know what happened. _Saphira said in a hurt voice. Eragon chuckled.

_Aye, it is the same color as your scales, it is beautiful _Saphira growled in mock anger but hummed again as he stroked her side. _Very well, let's go then. _

_I have to hunt Eragon, I need to eat _Saphira said getting up and stretching her long legs and wings. _I will be back soon. _Without warning she pushed off the ground and took to the skies.

_SAPHIRA! _

_Don't be a coward Eragon. _Saphira roared in amusement before she sped away leaving Eragon with an astonished look on his face. He shook his head and looked back at the Varden camp nervously. Taking a deep breath he walked back to his tent and placed Brisingr and Fuin at his either side of him and strapped on the belt of Beloth the Wise. Once again he looked at his reflection, a gleaming Sapphire blue eye along with an icy light brown eye gazed back at him. Sighing he walked out and towards the Varden camp. As he was halfway along the path Blodhgarm and his elves along with Calanon's company joined in guard around him. All of the elves faces took on looks of pure wonder as they looked at him but none spoke. As he looked around his eyes fell on Aeraela who had her fingers over her delicate lips as she gazed back at him, Vanya, the only other female elf among his guards was watching him with a similar expression mirrored in her face. Blushing slightly he looked away and looked straight ahead as he walked in the direction of Nasuada's tent. All around him the people stopped at their tracks and openly stared at him, some even knelt around him as he walked by. Feeling the color rising in his face he quickened his pace and was soon in front of his destination. The guards were taken aback by his appearance but they recomposed themselves quickly and bowed giving entrance. Calanon and Blodhgarm followed him through as the rest of the elves joined guard around the tent. He walked inside and looked around. Nasuada and Arya were the only ones present, they both gaped at him and for once Arya's usually emotionless mask was gone replaced with open surprise. Eragon felt the weird desire to laugh at her expression but held himself as he waited for either of them to speak.

"Eragon? What in the world happened….your eyes?" Nasuada asked, still staring at him.

"I don't know…I honestly don't know, it became like this when I woke up." He replied. His eyes met Arya's who looked back at him before quickly breaking eye contact and looking away as though prolonged contact was damaging. Looking back at Nasuada he asked "You said we have a problem?"

Nasuada looked unnerved as she still looked at his eyes before Calanon cleared his throat behind him. She snapped out of it and looked around the table before she took a small piece of paper. "We were wondering what you could make of this." She said handing him the paper. Curious, he took it. _Beware, the empire will attack on the third day. There are more of the impure ones. _The message looked like it was written in haste. Something in him clicked as he looked at Nasuada.

"How did you get this message?" A ghost of a smile appeared on Nasuada's face as she took the note back. "A certain Red Rider dropped it in front of me yesterday in the middle of the night. I had gone out for a breath of fresh air and he appeared before me and dropped it before taking off as soon as he appeared."

Unwillingly Eragon felt a small amount of hope growing in him. He looked up at her as she handed him another piece of paper which was written in the Ancient Language.

_Brother, the day when we fight together is fast approaching. The chains are weakening._

This confirmed his suspicions as he crumpled the piece of paper in his hand. He looked up to see Nasuada smiling slightly but he knew there were preparations to be made.

"I hope we can believe this. The Varden need to be ready for the battle."

"Aye, we will be the most prepared before any battle we have fought in the past. If Murtagh was to truly break his bonds he will be a great asset to the Varden."

Eragon looked at her sadly as he knew the cause of Nasuada's happiness in the midst of the Empire's imminent attack.

"Nasuada, you must remember that Murtagh killed King Hrothgar and my master. I will not forgive him so easily." Eragon said, his voice hard. Nasuada quailed under his gaze but held her ground.

"We will have to decide when the moment comes Eragon, I trust you will do what's right." Nasuada said softly. Eragon regarded her for a moment before she looked away again, no one seemed to be able to hold eye contact with him anymore now. Slowly Eragon nodded. Suddenly a cry was heard outside the tent; "The Dwarves are coming!" Eager to finally meet with Orik again he bowed respectfully at Nasuada before going back out while the others followed. As he walked towards the front of the camp he saw a blue speck in the sky and a roar announcing Saphira's arrival. He strode forward as the people cleared the area around him and waited as Saphira landed in front of him. She hummed as he scratched underneath her chin and looked at his face.

_Its glowing brighter than earlier _she said and sent him an image of himself reflected in her eyes. True to her words his eye was glowing much brighter than it was when he saw it. Sighing he dipped his head unwilling to look at the people around him who, from the way they were staring him, had noticed it long ago. Saphira suddenly roared sending a jet of flames into the air causing the people to gasp. _That should distract them a little_ Eragon chuckled and turned back towards where they could see a moving black mass marching towards them, with his enhanced vision he could just make out Orik leading his troops, a large mace slung over his shoulder and garbed in gold and bronze armor. Eragon walked out and as soon as he was within a few yards from Orik he knelt before him grinning broadly.

"King Orik, welcome back"

"Bah! Eragon there is no need for that, we are family." Orik laughed his booming laugh as he gripped Eragon's shoulders, he slowly lifted his face. "Barzul, what in the name of Guntera happened to you?"

"A question to which I have no answer to" Eragon replied. At that moment Saphira padded closer and Orik turned to her and immediately rubbed Saphira's nose.

"Bjartskular, well met indeed."

_Well met King Orik _Saphira replied projecting her voice to everyone in vicinity. They turned and headed back towards the Varden. Nasuada came out smiling slightly and after exchanging pleasantries invited Orik back into the command tent where King Orrin and Jörmundur were waiting for the briefing. Orik gave instructions for his troops to set up camp as he left.

"We shall meet again later Eragon, I would like to spend some time with mine foster brother and Roran Stronghammer." Orik said cheerfully as he departed. Eragon was slightly surprised that Orik had included Roran, but then realized that Orik must think of Roran as part of his family seeing as Eragon was after all adopted to his ranks. He suddenly got uncomfortable as he was still attracting many stares from the women in particular while the elves closed in around him to resume their duties.

_Saphira, I don't want to stay in camp today _She nodded in assent and sent him an image of a river alongside a meadow about half a league away. He grinned, she always knew the best of places. After quickly conversing with the elves he managed to convince them to take some time off while he went with Saphira. Blodhgarm and Calanon smiled a little as though they understood his predicament. _Let's visit Roran and Katrina before we go, I need to let him know about Orik. _He walked towards their tent and knocked outside. Roran came out smiling happily but froze when he saw Eragon's face.

"No, don't ask." Eragon said quickly before Roran could open his mouth. Katrina appeared behind him in time to hear him.

"Eragon! Come inside, it's been a while." He walked inside while Saphira snaked her head inside. Katrina stroked her neck causing her to hum and Roran laughed as he looked at the pair of them. They sat down around a table while Katrina prepared some tea.

"Roran, King Orik is here and he wants to meet and get reacquainted with us."

"Oh, he arrived already? I need to apologize to him for not coming out to greet him. We…" Roran looked dreamily at Katrina "We were…busy" Eragon made a noise in his throat as he looked at Roran.

"A little too much detail for me, keep it to yourself next time." Eragon said in mock annoyance. Roran laughed as Katrina came back holding a tray and offered a cup to Eragon.

"Well cousin you're going to have to learn about these things soon enough. You already have two of the most beautiful beings in Alagaesia falling head over heels for you. You're going to have to pick one soon enough." Eragon choked on his tea while Saphira snorted humorously.

"Two? Who are you talking about?" He asked guardedly.

"Why, that elf that arrived recently. The one with the silver hair. What's her name?" Eragon froze as he realized who Roran was talking about.

_Aeraela _Saphira said helpfully. Eragon shot her a murderous glare. _What? He only wanted to know her name._

"The other of course, is Arya." Roran continued as though there had been no interruption. Eragon looked up in surprise.

"She already denied me Roran as I mentioned to you some time ago. She will not have me." Saphira withdrew a little from his mind as he felt a wave of pain wash over him as he said those words. Katrina who had been watching him shook her head impatiently while Roran looked at him disdainfully.

"Eragon, you are honestly the most foolish person I have met besides Roran. I thought that being a Dragon Rider would make you wiser than Roran but it appears not." Katrina said slowly. "It's obvious to everyone in the camp she has feelings for you by the way she steals glances at you from time to time. I don't think she herself realizes she's doing it." Eragon felt at a loss of words while Saphira was now rumbling loudly as she laughed. Roran shook his head.

"Even the men in my company talk about how lucky you are having two of them run after you. If they can notice it and you cannot, I fear for your intelligence cousin." Eragon growled softly which made Roran grin broadly.

"Aeraela is a different matter, she isn't afraid of letting it show she likes you." Katrina said watching him closely. "Eragon, what do you feel about her?" Eragon was silent for a while before he responded.

"I don't know" He replied honestly. The turmoil raging in his head was too much. He couldn't help the pangs in his heart as he looked at Aeraela. Even though he felt more strongly to Arya he couldn't shake off the pain he felt every time he looked at her. With everything he still hadn't talked to Aeraela much but from past experiences he knew she had feelings for him which only served to increase his confusion as he had no idea why she liked him. As he thought about it he couldn't shake off the image of Arya that kept appearing in his mind. He turned to look back at Katrina who was watching him smiling in understanding.

"Just follow your heart Eragon, do what it tells you to do." He nodded before getting up. He needed to clear his mind and be prepared for the upcoming battle.

"I will return before nightfall." Roran nodded as he walked outside.

_To the river then? _Saphira asked gently.

_To the river _Eragon nodded grinning broadly. A sudden thought clicked in his mind and he dashed back to his tent after asking Saphira to meet him there. Once inside he grabbed Glaedr's Eldunari. _This will help him a little _He thought as he gently tucked the golden Eldunari inside a bag. He took his copy of _Domia abr Wyrda _too as he walked outside and mounted Saphira.

_Let's go!_ Saphira roared before she took to the skies and Eragon enjoyed the fairly short ride towards the river. He quickly took off his tunic leaving his leggings on and left all his belongings a little way away from the river placing a ward on it for good measure. He mounted Saphira again as she hummed contently before plunging into the icy waters in front of them. They spent most of the next couple of hours diving in and out of the water while Eragon let go of all his thoughts allowing himself to fully enjoy the feeling of the cold water. At that moment he felt like he was back in Carvahall when Saphira first hatched for him, no worries about the war plagued his mind. Finally they got back outside and Eragon muttered a spell to dry himself. He ate some of the fruits he brought back from his tent and sighing his leaned back against Saphira who was gently snoring by now. He opened the book and read. feeling truly at peace than he ever had in ages. The next few hours passed without interruption and soon Saphira woke up complaining she wanted something to eat other than fish from the river.

_Just go and find something to eat. _Eragon said lazily scratching underneath Saphira's neck.

_Maybe I won't, I find you without your shirt a tasty looking meal. _Saphira replied. Eragon got up in mock fear and jumped away from her while she laughed. She licked his arm affectionately before getting up. _I will be back soon, I know a place that isn't too far from here. _Eragon nodded and patted her snout.

_Get going then. _He said and watched her as she flew off in the skies. He didn't know if there were any creatures in the land that could rival Saphira's beauty and remembered with a pang that she could very well be the last of the dragons if they couldn't find her a mate soon. He remembered Murtagh and Thorn and frowned. He wished with all his heart that they really were working on getting free. He wanted to fight alongside him but he still couldn't help the anger that coursed through him as he remembered Oromis's face as he was struck down. He looked sadly at the Eldunari. Making up his mind he took the Eldunari and forced his way in ignoring the torrent around him. The anguish that he had felt earlier had lessened a lot overtime and he felt hopeful as he reached the light that he knew was Glaedr. He forced his way in through a crack he found in the barriers.

_Glaedr elda? _He asked tentatively. He waited in silence for a few minutes before withdrawing slowly.

_Eragon…_He heard the unmistakable voice of the Dragon. It was laced in sadness but he felt glad Glaedr was finally responding.

_Ebrithil! How…how are you feeling?_ Eragon asked weakly. He berated himself for asking that question and he waited in silence. He felt a little happiness coming from Glaedr through their link as he waited.

_I will endure hatchling. _Glaedr paused, _A lot has changed hasn't it? _Eragon didn't reply and he resorted to showing all the memories of what had transpired. He showed everything, including those of Aldor and the grey cloaked figure up to the point where he revealed himself. Glaedr was silent for a long time after that. _I will need some time to think Eragon vodhr, I will speak to you again once I gather my thoughts. _

_Of course Ebrithil _Eragon replied as he withdrew away from Glaedr. He felt happy to see that Glaedr had finally come out of seclusion. He lay back down on the grass and stared at the sky for some time before he heard a sound. Jumping to his feet he drew Fuin out which immediately started blazing with purple flames. He inched closer towards an opening between two tress until he quickly wheeled around one only to find himself looking at Aeraela who was slightly pink in the face cowering slightly as though in attempt to conceal herself. He sighed before he offered his hand to her who took it gratefully and pulled her upright.

"I apologize Shadeslayer but it I did not like the idea of sending you and Saphira off alone." She said bowing her head in defeat. Eragon smiled slightly.

"It is of no consequence. Saphira has gone hunting and you are welcome to stay, we can go back together." He had no idea what made him say it but was pleased when she nodded her head, her eyes gleaming bright as their eyes locked. Eragon suddenly became very aware of the fact he didn't have a shirt on and quickly hurried back and pulled on his tunic. She smiled a little before she came closer and sat in front of him while he mimicked her and slumped on the ground. Both were silent for a while before she picked up the book he was reading.

"I never got around to reading this, this is I believe the last book of this title left." She said thoughtfully as she rifled through the pages.

"Aye, It was Oromis ebrithil's, he gave it to me on the day I finished my training." She nodded as she gazed at the river. Eragon was acutely aware of the color of her ears which were red by now. He felt if he were to look at himself, his ears would be in the same condition.

"How did you raise Saphira Eragon elda? If you don't mind telling me how you came to be the Rider that you are." Eragon was surprised at her question but he obliged. He recounted everything he could from back when he was in Carvahall to the point where he arrived at the Varden. She listened intently to him and he could tell she was enjoying herself listening to him. He was happy of how easily they could talk with each other and soon she was telling him about herself.

"I was born into the house of Evanya, Oromis elda saw my potential in my gramarye and he trained me when I was still young. My parents were claimed to an unknown illness soon after I was born." At this her voice caught up in her throat and Eragon slowly shifted closer to her and put her arm around her in comfort. To his surprise she relaxed into his body while she remained silent. Eragon searched for something to say to change the topic.

"The elves regard you as a child still right? How many years does it go before they consider an elf to be mature?" It was an honest question, one which he had been curious about for a long time. She laughed softly before looking at him.

"I am seven and twenty years. Among the elves it is only when we are about seventy years when we are considered to come of age." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "How old are you Eragon elda?"

"I…I am not sure, I can't really remember when I was born, too much has happened over last couple of years." He paused as he thought for a moment. He had been six and one years when he found Saphira's egg. "I might be around nine and one years now." She didn't speak for a while.

"The war has aged you beyond that Shadeslayer. Your eyes show the hardships and losses you had."

Eragon absently nodded as he remembered how much things had changed since he left Carvahall. He laughed. If only Brom and Garrow could see him now.

"Why were you sent to join the elven guard Aeraela? It cannot be just because of your proficiency in magic." She didn't respond immediately but she visibly grew uncomfortable. She shifted nervously as though trying to decide what to do. Finally she closed her eyes.

"It was because of you." Blank shock covered Eragon's face. She continued on, "I first saw you when you came to Ellesmera with Arya Dröttningu. You looked so…young and yet you were carrying a burden no one else could even dream of carrying. At that moment I wanted to be at your side and help you. So when Islandazi was going to send reinforcements I volunteered. I gave my honest reasons and she didn't question me afterwards." Her cheeks were colored brightly pink now and her lips were trembling as she kept her gaze fixed on the patch of grass in front of them. Eragon was at a loss for words until finally he whispered, "Thank you." She looked up at him and held his gaze.

"Beautiful…" She murmured as she gazed at him never breaking eye contact. Slowly he felt her getting closer to him and he too unknowingly drew closer to her. Her eyes were sparkling bright as her eyelids shut slowly. Suddenly, before he had any time to think, she had grasped the back of his neck and pressed her lips against his. All thought was wiped from his mind as he inhaled her sweet flowery scent. She leaned back after a while and opened her eyes which were now filled with tears.

_I love you. _She whispered in the Ancient Language. Eragon didn't respond as he stared at her eyes. Slowly he drew closer to her and pressed his lips against hers. She responded by wrapping both arms around his neck and pulling him to the ground on top of her, deepening their kiss. They stayed entwined in that way oblivious to the time that passed. Finally they pulled apart gasping for breath and Eragon lay beside her. Suddenly the image of Arya formed in his mind making his heart stop.

"Aeraela…I…" She turned towards him and placed her finger on his lips silencing him.

"I know you are torn Eragon, I know of your pursuit of Arya." She smiled, he couldn't help but notice how her cheeks were colored pink which only served to increase her beauty. "I know your feelings for me too. That is enough for me. I will make you forget about the princess my own way." Eragon already felt his heart was changing rapidly, he wanted to say it, but Arya's face was still holding him back. He wanted to get rid of the pain in his heart once and for all but he also couldn't forget about Arya, the woman he had come to admire, respect and love since he first met her. He looked at Aeraela as his heart quickened. There was no mistake about it, he was in love with her too and he felt sick for not being able to make a decision. She was still smiling as she rolled over and climbed on top of him as he lay on the ground. She gently kissed him again and Eragon succumbed to the blissful feelings coursing through him as their lips touched. After a few moments she broke the kiss and rested her head on his chest sighing happily, tickling his face with her hair.

_Well well, I leave you for some time and this is what happens _A snide voice sounded through his head. Eragon's eyes opened wide as he recognized Saphira.

_Saphira! How…how long? _He trailed off weakly. She laughed.

_Don't worry, I broke off our link when I saw you were…as Roran says, busy. _Eragon's face grew hot at her words. Suddenly her voice got serious. _I can feel the confusion in your heart Eragon. But I am also happy for you, you really needed someone to ease your heart in these dark times and it looks like you have found that person. _

_I know Saphira, it's just…it's just that_…Eragon tried to find the words to describe his emotions but he couldn't.

_Oh little one stop worrying about Arya. She has given you nothing but pain. I can feel Aeraela's emotions. She sincerely cares about you and she would never do anything to hurt you. _Eragon felt the truth to her words but he still couldn't shake off the image of Arya. He felt the mirth pour in from their link. _Always the hard path right? _

_Always._

Saphira suddenly dropped out from the sky and Aeraela snapped her head away from Eragon's chest startled. She looked mortified at Saphira's appearance as she stared at the ground. Saphira however padded towards her and nuzzled her neck affectionately.

_Thank you for caring about my Rider. He has been alone for far too long. _Aeraela slowly looked up as Saphira licked her arm. She grinned as she stroked Saphira's neck while Eragon looked on unable to shake off the happiness he was feeling watching them. Finally he got up and made his way towards them.

"We need to head back, it's getting dark." He climbed on Saphira and offered his hand to Aeraela who took it gladly. She sat behind him and wrapped her arms around him and leaned her face against his back sending a shiver through his spine as she hugged him close. Saphira took off and they flew back to the Varden camp which was now a multitude of lights from the lamps. Saphira landed on the hillside where Eragon's tent was and both dismounted. Aeraela quickly gripped his hand and leaned forward planting a swift kiss on his lips before running swiftly in the direction of the camp. Saphira yawned widely before settling to sleep. She licked his face before closing her eyes. He replaced Glaedr's Eldunari back in his tent and walked in the direction of Roran's tent. Suddenly he came face to face with Arya and he felt like his heart turned to ice. _She has only brought you pain_ Saphira's voice echoed in his mind but he couldn't help the sharp pain that ran across his chest.

"Shadeslayer." She said stiffly before she walked away. Eragon sighed and continued on his way. He reached Roran's tent and walked inside and a grin spread across his face as he saw Orik, Roran and Katrina laughing and talking together. When they saw him they smiled and Roran got up and dragged him in. The rest of the night was spent in happiness as they talked about old times.

**AN: Whew! So much happened in this chapter xD Longest one ive written ever. A couple of things now then.**

**Alright, I know I might very well have earned the hatred of ExArya fans but this relationship is ESSENTIAL for my story, the reason will be clear in about two chapters :). Admittedly I am getting rather attached to Aeraela but no worries; I still stand by my initial promise and get Eragon and Arya together eventually.**

**I am really uncomfortable writing fluffy scenes like that so I got my friend Lauren to help me out with that, so on that part the credits go to her. **

**Spring break is here finally! So I probably will update again soon...very soon. On an additional note, thank you all for reviewing as always! I love all of my regular reviewers xD so special thanks to Restrained Freedom, Vaedhiv, Elemental Dragon Slayer, and R Peter. I am kind of disappointed that there aren't more people reviewing :(. Please guys, review! I don't wanna lose interest in this story and nothing makes me more happy than to see the feedback I get after each chapter. **

**Thank you for everyone that added my story to their favs and author list! You guys all made my day. Review whenever you guys find the time :D**

**Till next time.**


	7. Sorry!

**Sorry about the false alarm guys…I had to make a few minor changes to chapter 6…it just wouldn't feel right without it. As compensation I will put up the next chapter within 3 days xD**


	8. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

"Why?"

Murtagh sighed irritably as he looked with disgust at the man in front of him. The man was unshaven, both front teeth crooked and broken, and his face had a look of malice that could only be rivaled by Galbatorix. His eyes which were a dark black were widened in anger as he snapped his hand away from the green egg.

"Why? You really question why the Dragon will not choose you?" Murtagh asked in a bored voice. There were too many eager men trying their best to get the green egg to hatch. Each and every one of them had greedy expressions on their faces that made him sick. The man snarled and drew his sword.

"Let me touch it again."

Murtagh laughed. "No matter how many times you touch it, hold it, or even if you sleep with it. The Dragon will never choose an idiot like you." The man suddenly swiped at Murtagh's head but he was too quick for him. Drawing Zar'roc with inhuman speed he easily flicked away the man's sword. He kept the tip of his sword pointed directly at the man's throat while Thorn, who was right beside him growled ferociously. "Want some friendly advice? Make yourself scarce. Thorn here…" He glanced at Thorn for a moment before turning back smiling slightly "…is contemplating where to start ripping you to shreds with." The man stumbled backwards, fear evident in his eyes before he turned around and took to his heels. Murtagh looked around at the men gathered in front. All of them still had the same greedy looks on their faces that nauseated him. "There is nothing more here, it is apparent the Dragon is not going to choose any of you to be its partner." Ignoring the looks of outrage that fell on him he scooped up the egg and carefully placed it inside his bag and mounted Thorn. Thorn pushed off the ground and flew in the direction of the forest outside the city walls. Soon he landed and Murtagh jumped off and sat down against a tree while Thorn curled up in front of him.

_The egg will never hatch for any of the wretches here. _Murtagh nodded silently. He had no doubt the egg would never hatch for any of the men of the army. He had however, been avoiding going near any of the children in the city. He was not sure if the egg would hatch for one of them and he did everything possible to avoid exposing the egg to any of the children. If the egg by chance did hatch, the child will be forcefully submitted to the King and there will be no hope for them. It wasn't easy though, it was only due to his changed name that enabled him to conceal everything he did to the King. His true name had already changed a few words 2 days ago which meant the King had only limited control over him so he could conceal anything he wanted. The only thing preventing him from flying out to the Varden was the fact that he had yet to directly break the Oath binding him to the King's orders which were to participate in the battle to distract Eragon. If he opposed that, he knew the rest of the words would change, breaking his last chain and the King would immediately be alerted of it. He grinned happily; the king was in for a nasty surprise.

_What of the Shades Murtagh? _Thorn asked. Murtagh felt a thrill of fear pass through him. He had learnt that the King had actually given each of the Shades three Eldunari each making them much more formidable than normal. He felt a spasm of rage as he remembered the lead Shade, Zeal who was in possession of the ancient Dragon Rënn's Eldunari. Out of all the Eldunari Murtagh had come in contact with, Rënn was the only Dragon whose mind was not broken by Galbatorix. He had understood Murtagh's predicament and Murtagh had enjoyed speaking with the Dragon whenever he could. He felt sick as he remembered watching helplessly as the Shade with the help of the other Eldunari and the other Shades break the Dragon's defenses. He had resolved then that no matter what he was going to rip the Shade away from the Eldunari.

_From what I can gather, the Shades will be targeting certain members of the Varden but not Eragon. We will have to protect them._

_Do you know who their targets are? _Thorn asked curiously. Murtagh thought back to the King's words.

_I have some idea. Eragon will have to trust me when I warn him. If all goes well and Eragon agrees to help, we all can protect them. There are only four Shades after all, and none will be prepared for what will happen. _Murtagh stopped himself there, would Eragon believe him? After everything that had happened would he, if he was in Eragon's position, believe it?

_Don't worry; I'm sure he will see sense in your words. _Thorn said gently in his mind. Murtagh nodded silently.

_Everything will go well as long as he doesn't show up_ Murtagh said bluntly, shaking off the feeling of dread he got as he remembered Aldor and Vulthuryol. Thorn growled softly. They both knew they would be helpless if he ever showed up. He sighed as he remembered Nasuada's face the night he had appeared in front of her to deliver his warning. He could see no hate in her face as he gazed down at her and he hated himself for it. He knew his actions, although unwillingly, had caused her great pain. He sighed as he looked under Thorn's wing protectively.

_I will correct my mistakes._

* * *

><p>Aldor sighed as he shuffled slowly through the ruins of Vroëngard. Vulthuryol was padding slowly behind him. He looked down at a human skull protruding from a derelict wall. He looked at it with distaste before stamping on it shattering it to pieces and smiling at the savage pleasure he got from it.<p>

_Why do these people want to meet here every single time? _He asked projecting his thoughts to no one in particular. Vulthuryol snorted behind him.

_Let's just get this over with. I can't believe you awoke me just to bring me with you to this place. _Aldor grinned. Vulthuryol was always irritable when woken from slumber. He looked up ahead and saw three tall figures wearing silver cloaks.

_There they are, be patient, it will be over soon. _Vulthuryol just growled and stretched lazily on the ground. _What? You're not coming with me? _Aldor asked in a hurt voice.

_Just go._ He sighed and walked on before he stood before the three figures. He stood looking alternating at each of them trying to peer inside the hoods until the one in the middle stepped forward.

"I trust preparations are going smoothly?" No matter how many times Aldor heard him it still unnerved him. The voice seemed to vibrate almost as if it was infused with power.

"Yes my Lord." Aldor said inclining his head. _I will have your blood soon. _He thought to himself as he played images in his mind of him hacking repeatedly at the figure in front of him while blood spurted around him. The figure laughed coldly.

"You should work on hiding your thoughts better. You're getting too enthusiastic." Aldor looked up at him and smiled as sweetly as he could. Vulthuryol chuckled softly in his mind.

"What of the last one? How far along is he?"

"He will succumb; I will intervene in the battle tomorrow and make sure he does."

"Make sure he does, for without him we will fail what we started. We need him on our side." Aldor raised an eyebrow.

"And how do you think he will join us in our cause?" The figure laughed.

"He will, once he loses himself to the void it will be easy to…persuade him. We just need to allow him time to adapt and we will approach him when the time is right. Incidentally, how can

you be so sure he _will_ succumb to the darkness?" Aldor laughed, he could feel the curiosity in the figure's voice.

"Love." No one spoke as he felt all of their gazes on him.

"Love." He repeated, "It is a fragile bond which can cause a great deal of damage when broken. I will rip his heart from him." He said fingering his sword fondly. "It is what brought all this on, it will be what will send him spiraling to the darkness again just like his people." No one questioned him.

"Have you had any progress with the Vault of Souls?"

"None" Aldor replied. He felt the fury emanating from the figure.

"None? That place, and what it contains will change everything if he comes in contact with it."

"I know, I know." Aldor sighed. "I have been trying but I can't find it. But that means that Shadeslayer will have an equally hard time with it so you can rest easy." The figure looked at him for a long moment before speaking.

"For your sake, I hope your right. If he ever found it, it will make things a lot more difficult and he might actually have a chance in this war. Make sure he does not." Aldor nodded and mockingly bowed before turning around and walking back towards his Dragon. As he looked back he saw no trace of any of the figures.

* * *

><p>Eragon walked around the camp trying to help in any way he could while Saphira lazily flew circles in the sky. He did have a splitting headache though since he had stayed up for the most of the night drinking Dwarven mead with Orik and Roran.<p>

_You shouldn't have drunk so much _Saphira's said through their link. Eragon grimaced as he felt another painful throb.

_I know _He sighed, _You're one to talk, whenever you see mead you down whole barrels and you look horrible the next morning. _She growled and he felt that she was hurt by his words. _You know I don't mean that, no matter what you're still the fairest creature in Alagaësia. _He felt her happiness seep through the link. Eragon laughed fondly, _You Dragons are so vain _he said playfully.

_We are not! _Saphira replied indignantly.

_Yes, you are not. _Eragon agreed innocently. She didn't speak for a moment then both burst out laughing. People around him looked at him as if he was insane and he immediately stopped laughing and made his face emotionless.

"I see you are more like an elf now" He heard a musical voice behind him. He turned around to find Arya looking at him smiling slightly. Eragon felt a slight pang of guilt as his eyes met hers but he forced himself to look at her.

"Most of it I learned from you." She opened her mouth to speak but then shut it and fell silent awkwardly. They looked at each other for a moment before a man came up behind them.

"Shadeslayer! Could you help us with moving the Earth out their?" He asked pointing a little way away from the camp. "We need to dig in that area for a trench but the Earth is too hard for our tools."

"Of course." Eragon replied. He looked back at Arya for a moment, "Can you meet me by the river when I get back? There is something I need to ask you."

"Yes, I'll be there." Eragon smiled uncertainly then he focused his attention on Saphira.

_You're going to hunt? _Saphira thought for a moment.

_No, I've had my fill for now, I will spend some time in the air and I will join you later._ Eragon nodded before he turned and left with the man.

* * *

><p>Arya watched him go. She couldn't help the sharp pain that ran across her heart as she remembered the night before. She sighed as she walked away thinking about what she saw the last night.<p>

She had been on her way to visit Eragon in his tent when suddenly she found Aeraela running right towards her. The elf's eyes widened in surprise as she saw Arya right in front of her. Arya felt surprised when she saw Aeraela's face. Even by the moonlight she could see that the elf was blushing furiously and had a smile on her face. Elves usually hid any and all emotions they could but younger elves had far more trouble with it. She couldn't say why but just as she saw the look on Aeraela's face she had the feeling she had lost something dear to her. She couldn't stop the pain that was increasing steadily in her heart and she felt like she could burst out crying at any moment. Aeraela shifted uncomfortably before she initiated the elven greeting to which Arya replied automatically. She saw her lips move as she said something but Arya was dazed from all the emotions she was feeling. She looked up to find Aeraela had already run in the direction of her tent. She stood rooted in the spot and suddenly she felt like going back to her tent. Just as she turned around she found herself looking at Eragon, his blue eye shining brightly in the night. She felt like the distance between them had increased tenfold and she found herself unable to look at his face. She muttered something in greeting and continued on past him still trying to make sense of the emotions she was feeling.

Arya looked up to find where she was and was startled to find that during her contemplation she had absentmindedly walked to Eragon's tent. She looked around and was startled to find the Golden Eldunari glowing brightly on his bed. Intrigued she went inside and picked it up and tried to contact Glaedr. A few minutes passed and just when she was going to give up his deep voice spoke.

_Arya Drottningu. It has been a long time. _She felt a surge of happiness at hearing the old Dragon's voice.

_Glaedr elda! When did you awaken? _She worded her question carefully so as not to offend the Dragon. He chuckled sadly.

_There is no need to hide behind words, Eragon pulled me from my pit of self-pity yesterday. _

_He did? _Her eyes widened in surprise. She suddenly felt angry, when had he been planning on telling her of this?

_Where is Eragon Arya? _

_He is helping the Varden prepare for the battle tomorrow. _She felt Glaedr's surprise.

_He neglected to mention that. That boy…_He growled. Arya didn't speak for a moment as she felt Glaedr's emotions pour in from their link. She was surprised to find Glaedr was uneasy about something. At that moment all the emotions stopped and she felt Glaedr put up impenetrable walls around his thoughts.

_Sorry, but now is not the time to discuss this. If the battle is tomorrow I do not want to distract him now. _Glaedr paused for a moment. _Did he not mention anything to you?_

_No_ She replied, she felt a little hurt as she said it. What was it that Eragon was not telling her? She felt Glaedr laugh slightly.

_Don't worry Drottningu. He will tell you when he is ready. _She nodded silently even though she knew Glaedr could not see. _Tell Eragon he is to keep my Eldunari with him when he heads out to the battle. _

_Yes Glaedr elda. _She sensed the finality in his tone so she carefully withdrew from the Dragon's consciousness and carefully set the Eldunari on the bed again before heading out. She broke into a light run in the direction of the river where Eragon was going to meet her.

* * *

><p>"Thank you Shadeslayer." The man said gratefully. Eragon smiled.<p>

"Let me know if anyone needs more help." He looked up at the sky where Saphira was still circling around.

_Aren't you ever going to get bored of flying?_

_What? Never! _She roared loudly. He smiled, then he turned in the direction of the river where he had asked Arya to meet him. He felt a growing feeling of dread as he started walking slowly.

_Are you coming? _He asked.

_No little one, this is something you need to do on your own. _He felt her worry wash over him._ I will be there if you need me. _With that she severed their mental link. Eragon sighed and began to run. As he was gradually getting closer he felt the scent of crushed pines slowly overpower his senses. His heart skipped a couple of beats when his eyes found Arya standing and looking at the river with her back turned to him. He slowed his pace to a walk and kept going until he was right behind her.

"Arya." She turned around. Both of them stared at each other's eyes for a long time before Arya finally spoke.

"Glaedr spoke to me." Eragon's mouth fell open in surprise. He had completely forgotten about letting her know about that.

"I'm sorry; I completely forgot to let you know about him. It was not my intention to hide it from you, please forgive me." He looked up and saw her face soften visibly.

"It is of no consequence Eragon. I will ask you about it later. Glaedr said he had something he wished to speak to you about but he said he will do so after the battle. He also told me to tell you to take his Eldunari with you when you head out tomorrow." He nodded. She looked at him questioningly. Right now, her words mattered little to Eragon and his throat had gone dry. _Get this over with_a voice almost shouted at the back of his mind.

"Arya…I…" His words caught up in his throat when his eyes met hers again. She bent her neck sideways and looked at him curiously.

"What is it?" She asked gently. Eragon took a long time to gather up the courage.

"Arya, do you not feel anything for me?" He asked bluntly. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Please Arya, I need to know." He asked, his voice breaking.

* * *

><p>Arya's emotions were running wild. She couldn't stop the flow of memories which flowed into her. Eragon's face when she denied him back in Ellesmera, the fairth, everything. <em>Tell the truth! <em>She screamed at herself but she couldn't. She almost opened her mouth but then she stopped herself. No, this is wrong. Eragon was too young for her. There was no way they could be together. She was the last heir to the throne and her mother would never allow it. The elves would frown upon it and she would be betraying Faolin. _None of that matters! You love him, stop being a coward and tell him. You will lose him if you don't. _She struggled trying to find more reasons to deny him. _Why do you keep hurting him? _She opened her mouth again.

"I…" _NO! She screamed at herself. _She looked up at Eragon's face again and what she saw almost broke her heart. Tears were sliding down his cheeks and his blue eye was no longer gleaming. He looked like he was suffering from great pain and she forced herself to look away. _I'm so sorry _She took a moment to harden her face and bottle all of her emotions.

"No Shadeslayer, I do not." Her voice was shaking and she felt at any moment she would dash at him and embrace him admitting she loved him. Keeping her eyes on the ground she continued, "You would do well to stop your pursuit of me. You are only hurting yourself and giving me the pain of denying you time and again."

"Why?" He whispered and she forced herself to look at him. She felt her vision go blurry when she saw him. His eyes had an anguished look and he was clutching his chest. She knew his wound was acting up again and she tried to walk towards him to comfort him, but something held her back. He sank to his knees in front of her. She needed to finish this soon and get away or she was going to regret it. Taking another moment to compose herself and angrily brushing away her tears she turned away from him.

"Why? You already know why. Faolin was the only one that had a place in my heart Shadeslayer and he will be the last." As soon as she uttered those words she regretted it. Her lip trembled as she forced herself to look at Eragon. He was looking at her. His eyes had a dead, icy look in them as more tears were streaming down his face. _What have I done _She tried to take a step towards but suddenly Saphira descended from the air and placed herself in front of Eragon. At the same moment Aeraela came running from behind her. She looked straight at Arya, her gaze cold and emanating fury. She knelt next to Eragon and hugged him tightly while he collapsed without a word into her embrace. Arya couldn't keep the pain in her heart at bay as she saw this. She tried to walk towards Eragon again but Saphira suddenly bared her teeth at her and snapped.

_Leave right now elf. You hurt my Rider enough for a day. _She growled. Arya let out a choked sob before she turned and ran without looking back. Willing every step she took to lessen the pain in her heart.

* * *

><p>Eragon couldn't shake off the feeling of despair as he tried to stop the tears from flowing down. He had prepared himself for this but he had no idea it will hurt him as badly. He slowly felt himself relaxing into the warm embrace of the gentle hands around him. After a while he managed to stop his tears and he looked up at Aeraela.<p>

"I'm sorry."

"Shh…it is alright. You can move on now." She put a finger to his lips. Her green eyes were moist and pearly tears were sliding down her cheeks.

"Please, please, don't ever leave me." Eragon's voice was feeble. "I don't know what I will do without you." Her heart melted at the sight of his face.

"I will never leave you Eragon." She whispered before kissing him gently on his lips. His eye's former glow was slowly returning as he lifted his hand and wiped away her tears. "_Amin mela lle_" She said softly. A bright spark appeared in his eyes before he whispered "_Amin mela lleta". _Slowly he got up and pulled her to her feet. She smiled slightly as he tucked a strand of her hair gently behind her ear. Saphira gently nuzzled Eragon's neck and licked Aeraela's hand before she flew away.

_I am going to hunt little ones, I will be back soon. _She said to both of them. Eragon silently nodded and started walking back towards the camp holding Aeraela's hand. Aeraela suddenly stopped him.

"Let's not go back right now." She said gripping his hand more tightly. He finally smiled uncertainly at her before she suddenly pushed him and held him against a tree next to them. She gently pressed her lips against his and stayed for a while enjoying the feeling. She felt the happiest she had been her whole life. She pulled away a little and looked at his eyes. The warmth from his eyes was all she needed. She pinned him against the tree again and kissed him again, this time more deeply than before. He slowly slid down the tree holding her in his arms and the rest of the evening was spent in the enjoyment of each other's company.

* * *

><p>The Drums of war were sounding throughout the camp the next morning as the Varden army assembled in ranks. Eragon strapped on Brisingr and Fuin, and placed Glaedr's Eldunari carefully inside the saddle bag.<p>

_Be careful Eragon vodhr, I cannot shake off the feeling I am getting_ Glaedr's voice was laced with worry.

_I will master. _

Eragon walked out and mounted Saphira. They flew without words towards the front entrance of the camp where Nasuada, King Orik, King Orrin, Nar Gharzvog Roran and Arya were assembled. He forced himself not to look at Arya as he greeted them. Nasuada looked at him worriedly.

"Scouts reported the King's army is only about three leagues away. They will be upon us shortly. And…" She couldn't complete her sentence. "There are reports of Shades leading the army." Eragon kept his face impassive.

"What of Murtagh and Thorn?"

"Aye, they are also present." Nasuada said, her voice was shaking.

"Don't worry my lady. I decided long ago what I must do." She looked at him questioningly but he didn't elaborate. She nodded silently. Orik unceremoniously embraced him.

"Be safe, mine brother."

"You too." Eragon tried to smile but he couldn't. He could feel a growing sense of fear in him for some reason and it was numbing him. Roran was looking at him worriedly. He walked up to him and hugged him tightly.

"We will get through this Eragon." He nodded before he turned back to Saphira, as he did his eyes caught Arya's and she looked away immediately, her eyes bright. Hesitating slightly he pulled Arya into a hug and let go almost immediately.

"_Sitja varna Arya svit kona_." Without waiting for a reply he jumped on Saphira and flew towards his elven guard. He dismounted Saphira and looked around.

"We will use the same method as we did during our last battle. Contact me or Arya Drottningu if you need help." As one all of the elves bowed. Blodhgarm stepped forward.

"Eragon elda…" Eragon was surprised at how he was addressed but he waited for Blodhgarm to continue. "The Queen sends her personal blessings. We are honored to fight by your side." Eragon managed a small smile as he looked around him. All the elves were looking at him with respect and adoration. Saphira hummed at his observation _There are plenty of people that want you to come back Eragon. That alone gives us reasons to fight. _He felt his mouth curve into a smile. He looked around for Aeraela but couldn't find her. His heart sank in disappointment but just as he was mounting Saphira he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and felt elated as he looked back at the silver haired elf. She pulled him into an embrace and he felt his ears grow hot as he looked around at the elves before him. They looked on happily and started to look away pointedly. She didn't let go for a long time and she finally put her forehead against his as they looked at each other for a long time, sharing their emotions.

"I will be waiting for you." She whispered, then without raising her voice she said, "_Amin mela lle_."

"_Amin mela lleta_" He whispered back. Then, before she released him he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers to which she responded eagerly. They broke away after a while and Eragon jumped back on Saphira. They looked over at the horizon where a huge red mass was slowly approaching. Suddenly Eragon felt a familiar presence in his mind although it was distinctly different at the same time. _We will coat this battlefield in Red_. Eragon silently agreed, a feeling of blood thirst rose in him while Saphira let out a feral snarl. Together they waited while the empire's soldiers gradually grew closer, waiting for the horn to sound. The plains had gone deathly quiet while Eragon's elven eyes picked out a red speck in the horizon. He strained his eyesight further to see Murtagh looking right at him. He looked away and grinned slightly in spite of the dark atmosphere.

* * *

><p>Aldor watched the army moving away from him as he and Galbatorix lagged behind. He would join the fray later. He had only one job to do. He looked sideways at Galbatorix who immediately bowed low.<p>

"You will join the battle in case events take an unexpected turn." He laughed at the confused look on Glabatorix's face.

"What do you mean my lord?"

"You will see."

He looked up at the sky.

"Love…such a fragile bond."

Far away a horn sounded. The battle had begun.

**AN: Yeah…umm review? :D Oh and I enabled anonymous reviews in the hope I will get more lol. Criticisms are welcome :) although I hope they will be constructive ones. **

**Thank you for everyone who reviewed my last chapter, hope you guys keep it up! **

**BTW is there anyone who is interested in being my beta for the upcoming chapters? If there are, please pm me. I could really use the help to improve my mistakes. **

**I'm going to have to put some thought into the next chapter, need to get the battle scenes and everything done properly. Will update soon :) hopefully before next week. If I get more reviews than I **_**usually **_**get I just might update a loooot sooner xD. **

**Until next time**

**Translation – "**_Amin mela lle" _"I love you."

"_Amin mela lleta"_ "I love you too."

"_Sitja varna" _"Stay safe"


	9. Chapter 8

**Wow thankyou for all the amazing reviews guys! I got far more than I had bargained for and you guys all made my day. **

**CHAPTER 8**

Eragon felt the old daunting feeling as he braced himself on Saphira as the war horns sounded. It was an unnerving sound, one that always sent a spasm of uneasiness coursing through his body each time he heard it. In front of him the Empire's army was rapidly approaching while the Varden soldiers advanced forward all around him. He quickly extended his consciousness to Calanon who after a brief moment let him in.

_Stick to the same tactics as earlier, do not engage the soldiers unless you have absolutely no choice. Concentrate on wiping out their Magicians. _Calanon sent the equivalent of a mental nod. Eragon looked down at Saphira who hadn't moved an inch during their exchange as she turned her long neck to look at him. He nodded and silently drew Brisingr as she roared and pushed off the ground heading straight at the Red shape hurtling towards them. When they were just a few feet of each other Thorn stopped right in front of them and Eragon locked eyes with Murtagh. Murtagh looked the same as he did back when they met at the Burning Plains except that his light blue eyes had a small spark which was absent at their previous meeting. They stared at each other for a moment oblivious of the cries of the men below who were fighting. Murtagh jerked his head sideways and Thorn immediately flew in away. Eragon looked down, eyes scanning towards the back of the army where Nasuada and Arya were standing, surrounded by the nighthawks and a handful of the elves who accompanied their princess. He knew both of them were waiting to see what would happen before they could join the fighting. His gaze met Nasuada's whose face was twisted with worry. He nodded curtly before he flew towards Thorn and Murtagh who was standing beside his Dragon with Zar'roc drawn. Saphira landed and growled as Eragon jumped off and drew Fuin holding it in front of him while he turned Brisingr so that he was holding it backhanded. He crouched low and edged closer to Murtagh who was still standing without making any move to defend himself.

"A lot has changed with you I see brother." He said slowly eyeing Fuin warily. Thorn growled softly but he suddenly bowed his head low in defeat. Eragon slowly straightened up in surprise as Saphira too edged closer. Murtagh turned towards Thorn and untied a bag from the saddle which he held carefully with one hand. He dropped Zar'roc in front of him and kicked it away from him and walked up to Eragon and held out the bag. Eragon slowly sheathed Fuin and took the bag from him and peered inside. He felt joy pouring in through Saphira as they gazed at the beautiful emerald egg inside the bag. He looked back up at Murtagh who was watching him with the same wary expression as before he spoke.

"I give to you the last Dragon egg in Galbatorix's possession and I swear fealty to you and the Varden. _Vel einradhin iet ai Shur'tugal_." As he said it he noticeably grew pale and swayed on his feet, Thorn softly whimpered before he arched his neck back and roared triumphantly. Eragon didn't say anything as he watched Murtagh. They were comrades again, he was no longer the King's puppet and he was willing to help the Varden. Murtagh looked up at him, "I will take any punishment you or Nasuada wish to give me, I only ask you wait until this battle is over."

"No" Eragon immediately replied. Thorn growled loudly at Eragon and slowly started to advance on him while Saphira immediately stepped in front of Thorn. Murtagh looked at Thorn for a moment before he looked back at Eragon.

"So be it."

Eragon looked at Murtagh for a few seconds before he drew back his fist and punched as hard as he could at Murtagh's face drawing blood. Murtagh almost fell on his knees but recomposed himself as Thorn roared angrily. Murtagh straightened up and again and looked at Eragon but he merely shrugged and grasped Murtagh's arm and pulled him into a quick embrace.

"That will be all. We will settle the rest afterwards." Murtagh smiled as Eragon pulled away from him, Saphira snorted haughtily before she projected her thoughts.

_We need not waste any more time. _Murtagh nodded grimly.

"Eragon, the King knows I am no longer in his control. He is only about a league away from here and if he decides to join the battle we must be prepared." Eragon nodded quickly as he was mounting Saphira. He contacted Blodhgarm this time.

_Blodhgarm, send a scout ahead and keep a lookout for Galbatorix. Murtagh and Thorn are now with the Varden so do not attack him. Spread the words throughout the Varden as fast as you can._

_It will be done Shadeslayer _Blodhgarm replied.

"Eragon wait! There are two Shades mixed in with the Empire's army somewhere. I do not know who their targets are but it seems they are here to carry out assassinations under cover of the battle." Eragon's heart started beating rapidly. Of all the things Shades mixed with the army was troublesome. Murtagh went on, "They have been given some Eldunari so they are much more dangerous than Durza had ever been."

_Those vile creatures are in possession of a Dragon's heart of hearts? _Saphira roared, Eragon was shaking in fury himself as Glaedr contacted him, his ancient voice trembling in fury.

_Eragon, those Shades need to be killed as soon as possible, you cannot afford to spend the whole time looking for them._ Eragon silently agreed, he was torn as he kept thinking about the people who might be targeted. Roran, Katrina, Aeraela, Arya, Nasuada, Orik…the list was endless. Suddenly a voice sounded in his head.

_Calm down, think properly. _Eragon flinched slightly as he recognized the voice but he accepted the advice. He looked back at the battle raging on. "Murtagh? You have no idea at all about who are going to be targeted?" Murtagh looked thoughtful as he mounted Thorn slowly.

"I only remember him saying…all Galbatorix said was that Aldor had given him orders to 'hurt you with unconventional methods'." He paused thoughtfully. Eragon closed his eyes as Oromis had taught him and forced himself to calm. The King or Aldor couldn't possibly know about Aeraela or Roran and Katrina since Murtagh had no memories of them. His heart turned cold as he realized it.

"Arya!" He gasped. "Murtagh, go to Nasuada, stay with her at all times." He barely finished before Saphira flew in the direction of the battle. The battlefield was already littered with bodies belonging to the Varden and the Empire. He scanned the battlefield trying to locate Arya; he caught a quick glimpse of Raven hair whipping around in the middle of the two armies, at the same time he caught sight of Roran swinging his hammer at anyone within reach. For the time being neither of them needed his help but he still wanted to get near Arya as soon as possible. He couldn't just dive in with Saphira in fear of harming the Varden so they landed just behind the two opposing bodies. He reached out to Arya who let him in after a brief moment's hesitation.

_Be careful of Shades, I will be by your side as soon as I can _He withdrew from Arya's mind sensing her reply. He had delivered his warning and he wasn't going to waste time arguing with her about how she could defend herself.

He felt a tug at his mind and recognizing Blodhgarm he let him in.

_Shadeslayer, all of the Varden have been alerted of the red Rider. There has been no sign of Galbatorix but I see reinforcements of the Empire approaching from the West. They will be upon us in a matter of minutes. We have taken care of almost all of their magicians so their wards are significantly depleted._

_Thank you; also, keep a look out on the princess and lady Nasuada. _He felt a question coming and immediately said _No time to explain, alert me if either of them are in trouble. _As Thorn and Murtagh flew away from the battlefield towards Nasuada the Empire's army shouted in despair as they slowly realized what was happening. Saphira flew overhead as Eragon drew both swords and approached battlefield. Then, before anyone could realize what was happening Saphira suddenly dropped from the sky towards a group of soldiers and burned them alive. Eragon's mind was linked to Saphira's as he felt her savage pleasure fueling his thirst to engage.

_Shall we Saphira? _

_We shall _Both of them melded their minds together until they were one. Fuin seemed to hum metallically as he slashed at all he could get within range. His attacks slowly grew more and more ferocious as he danced in and out of the enemy's ranks coating both his swords in sheets of blood. Fountains of blood erupted around him as he felt himself get more and more immersed in the joy only a battle could bring and he was hardly aware that Brisingr and Fuin were glowing blue and purple respectively. Soldiers that were unfortunate enough to glimpse him only saw a glowing blue eye gazing at them before they felt their life drain away instantly. Saphira was equally fearsome, her claws were bathed red with blood and she was snarling ferociously. Those in front were burned to death; those that got too close were thrown aside with deep wounds and slowly bled to death if the swipe hadn't killed them already. Those that were lucky enough to get closer from the sides were only struck down by Eragon while still others were killed by the Varden army while they were distracted. Eragon finally stopped moving and forced himself to relax. He found Roran next to him at one point but didn't stop as Roran shouted something. He had never gone into such a frenzy before, his armor was splattered with blood and from the wetness of the side of his face he realized it was covered too. Bile coated his tongue as he looked around at the bodies but another emotion soon replaced it, and this feeling did not leave. He wanted more.

_Shadeslayer! Arya Drottningu needs help, her guards are dead. _Blodhgarm's urgent voice broke into his mind. He looked up and saw that Arya was only a few yards away from him, fighting against a cloaked figure, both of the elves that accompanied her were lying dead on the ground. Cursing himself for not noticing sooner he dashed at them as the figure disarmed Arya and pulled back to plunge at her heart. Instantly the figure's white blade started glowing unnaturally. He wasn't sure why exactly, but he knew he wouldn't be able to block the strike with either of his swords. Forcing himself to go faster he closed the distance between them at an inhuman speed just as Arya closed her eyes preparing for the words. Time seemed to slow at that moment as several things happened at once. Saphira roared in anguish just as an explosion blew a crater a few feet away from them obliterating all of the Varden soldiers that were standing there. The Empire's reinforcements had arrived and engaged the remaining soldiers of the Varden a few meters. Arya looked up and cried out as she saw Eragon dangling a few feet up in the air, impaled by the Shade's sword. The figure had stabbed at Eragon's left shoulder and had lifted him off his feet using his sword to hold him effortlessly, blood trickled freely down the wound. Saphira was beside herself with fury but she was being held down by a second cloaked figure standing next to her. Both of the figures simultaneously pulled back their hoods to reveal flaming red hair and dark, soulless eyes. The Shade threw Eragon towards Arya as he started coughing up blood. Suddenly Thorn and Murtagh appeared right next to them and Murtagh silently drew Zar'roc. Arya paid no attention to anything going on before her as she healed Eragon as best as she could.

* * *

><p>Murtagh stepped in front of Eragon and Arya.<p>

"So traitor, you have joined that filth I see." One of the Shades leered. Murtagh kept his face impassive.

"Where is Rënn's Eldunari? The Shade next to Saphira grinned as he reached down the front of his cloak and pulled out a pure white Eldunari. Murtagh recognized Zeal and snarled in anger as he dashed at the Shade.

* * *

><p>Eragon shakily stood up.<p>

"Eragon, no…you can't fight with your injury." Arya whispered as she too stood up.

"Come now Shadeslayer, you can do better than this" the Shade said. Eragon quickly contacted Saphira.

_Saphira, take Arya and drop her off with the elves, I don't care how stubborn she is and you can force her if you wanted to. _

_No! I will stay by your side. _

_Please Saphira, just do it, this is nothing. I can beat him, take Arya back and help the Varden take care of the soldiers. Take Thorn with you and place the egg in Angela's care back at the camp. _Saphira stayed silent for a fraction of a second before she suddenly grabbed Arya between her talons, careful not to hurt her. Arya yelped in surprise.

"Put me down!" Saphira ignored her as she turned her huge Sapphire eye towards Eragon. His face was set as he his swords on the ground and crouched low. The Shade grinned widely before holding its sword in front of it.

_Be safe _Saphira's voice echoed in his head. He nodded grimly as his left arm shook slightly. His injured shoulder was bleeding slightly and for some reason it stubbornly resisted all attempts at healing. Saphira flew away and after a few a few moments Thorn followed. He looked straight at the Shade in front of him ignoring Murtagh and the other Shade that were now going at each other, sparks flying where their swords met. Eragon and the Shade eyed each other. His anger slowly grew as he faced the Shade, remembering how it had almost killed Arya. He was unable to hide his fury as Fuin and Brisingr were surrounded in purple and blue flames respectively and a gigantic flux of power awakened in him.

_Make him die the most painful death possible _a voice echoed in his mind and he couldn't stop himself from grinning, the Shade was now eyeing him apprehensively and Eragon thought he could sense a note of fear emanating from it. He longed to thrust his swords into the wretch in front of him. He couldn't waste any movements now because of his shoulder so he slowly straightened up and lowered his swords and gazed with a bored expression at the Shade. The taunt worked as the Shade screamed and ran at him. Eragon felt as if time itself slowed around him as the Shade's movements were slow. He easily parried the strike with Fuin and slashed at its midsection with Brisingr causing the Shade to yell and leap backwards in pain. Eragon couldn't shake off his feelings, he wanted to hurt the Shade, he wanted to make it suffer before he put it out of his misery. Fuin seemed to glow brightly and hum as he felt the emotions pour into him. The Shade pointed its finger at Eragon and screamed _"Hjodr!" _but Eragon blocked the spell with his swords causing them to ring as though they were struck with a blacksmith's hammer. Eragon could plainly see the Shade was definitely terrified now. He was unable to stop the crazed laugh that escaped his lips as he slowly moved towards the Shade. Its white blade started glowing again as it dashed at him again. Eragon stood eyeing the Shade's movements carefully before he leaned to the side in a fluid motion dodging the strike. He immediately replied by thrusting Fuin into the Shade's leg but he didn't stop there. He started a relentless flow of attacks stabbing and slashing at anywhere he could reach but the heart and felt his savage pleasure grow at the Shade's screams as his swords connected with its flesh. It had no way to counter attack as Eragon initiated a mental assault at the Shade stopping it from trying to use magic and still kept on hacking at the Shade forcing it backwards with every step he took. Finally the Shade moaned pitifully as it sank to its knees and Eragon stopped for a moment looking at the Shade with distaste. Deciding to end it then he stabbed straight at the heart as the Shade didn't make any attempt to block the strike. It screamed in pain as it slowly dissolved into darkness leaving behind a yellow Eldunari. Eragon slowly picked it up and turned to Murtagh and the Shade he was fighting and slowly started walking towards them.

* * *

><p>Murtagh heard the screams of the Shade as he parried yet another strike from Zeal. Both him and Zeal had been keeping note of the battle that was taking place just a few feet away from them in the midst of their fighting. As soon as the Shade screamed he knew it was over and both him and Zeal paused in their fighting as they turned to look at the Shade disappear while Eragon was watching it, his blue eye glowing brilliantly. Murtagh unwillingly felt a stab of relief that he did not have to cross swords with Eragon any more, the ferocity of Eragon's attacks had astounded him. Zeal suddenly roared in front of him and slashed at Murtagh which he managed to block just barely. Turning his full attention back to the Shade he saw the fear in its eyes. Murtagh renewed his attacks and once again they both started their deadly dance. Sparks flew every time Zar'roc connected with Zeal's blade. Murtagh felt the Shade assault him mentally and he relentlessly pushed back. Murtagh also had the backing of a few Eldunari that were given to him long ago by the King. He suddenly leaned backwards to avoid a slash at his shoulder and shouted "<em>Brisingr!" <em>pointed at the Shade with his palm. Zeal's eyes widened in surprise as the blast caught him off guard sending him stumbling backwards. This was all Murtagh needed as he kept up a steady stream of attacks giving the Shade no time to do anything but to block his attacks. At the same time Murtagh pressed at the Shade's barriers drilling a hole through it. Zeal suddenly stopped moving allowing Murtagh's sword to stab through its shoulder. Murtagh realized his mistake and pulled back but the Shade stabbed straight at his arm causing him to yell in agony.

* * *

><p>Eragon started running forward as he saw the Shade's blade pass through Murtagh. Suddenly a voice roared in his head.<p>

_Do not interfere! _He looked around to see Thorn in the air watching the battle below. Eragon looked towards the Varden army and was surprised to see that now the Varden numbers outmatched the Empire's. They were winning.

_Yes little one, this is Murtagh's fight. Let him keep going _Saphira's said gently while she swiped at yet another soldier killing him immediately. Eragon silently nodded and stepped back.

* * *

><p>Arya was beside herself with fury. Saphira had taken her without a word and dropped her safely near Blodhgarm's group.<p>

"Drottningu, what happened?" Calanon asked while the other elves looked at her.

"Shades, Eragon and Murtagh are facing them now." The elves faces formed looks of outrage. Aeraela suddenly stepped forward.

"Eragon, was he hurt?" She asked, her voice shaking. Her eyes went blank as she attempted to contact Eragon. Arya looked up at the silver haired elf. She couldn't lie to her, not when she cared so much for Eragon. As she thought that her heart lurched in pain.

"…Yes." Aeraela suddenly became furious.

"And you just left him?" She almost screamed. "I can't contact him." Her face was etched in worry.

"Have some respect!" Blodhgarm snapped at her. Arya didn't say anything as she hung her head down. "We need to help them." As they spoke an unearthly scream sounded in air. Arya recognized it; she had already heard it two times. One of the Shades is dead, and she hoped it was the one Eragon was fighting. Suddenly a distant roar sounded and everyone turned for the source. In the sky, red and black shapes were hurtling towards them at breakneck speed. Arya felt a growing sense of dread as she slowly recognized Vulthuryol and Aldor accompanied by Galbatorix and Shruikan. Both were heading straight at the elves and immediately the elves drew their swords. No one had any time to react as Vulthuryol and Shruikan landed in front of them. Arya tried to contact Eragon but something had blocked off her mind. She slowly stepped forward as Aldor jumped down.

"Seems like the Varden have won a great victory!" He smiled. Galbatorix was still sitting on Shruikan watching intently. Blodhgarm growled and slowly edged closer to Aldor but he kept speaking without sparing a glance. "The egg is in your possession, Murtagh has defected." He stopped eyeing Blodhgarm with a bored expression. Suddenly Blodhgarm was blasted off his feet and thrown backwards. "Truthfully we never saw any of that coming but it matters little." Aldor suddenly muttered something incomprehensible and his palm glowed brilliantly, the next thing Arya knew was seeing everyone around her fall as she gave in to the darkness taking over her.

* * *

><p>Murtagh grimaced as Zeal pulled the sword out of his arm. The Shade kept looking everywhere in panic and he turned to see Eragon watching him. Eragon slowly nodded and Murtagh felt glad he had not jumped in. He was not weak.<p>

_You can do it Murtagh _Thorn's deep voice rumbled in his head. He sent Thorn his gratitude as he straightened up again and calmed his breath. He started a flow of memories reminding himself of what Tornac had taught him.

_Do not waste your movements. Don't move too much, move only as far as necessary, even if a sword is only a heartbeat away from your body. _

Murtagh slowly started circling as the Shade mimicked him. The next moment the Zeal attacked, he wanted to end it quickly. Murtagh replenished his depleted energy from the Eldunari in his possession and immediately struck back. He concentrated hard and watched the Shade's blade come at him from different angles and countered all of them perfectly. Suddenly an idea clicked on his mind. Exposing his left arm he left it unguarded allowing the Shade to stab at it. Gritting his teeth against the pain he turned his palm downwards and shouted "_Jierda!" _The ground was immediately flattened inwards and the Shade lost its balance. That was all he needed, he imbued all of his remaining energy into his blade and struck precisely at its heart. Zeal screamed in agony before finally it too disappeared in a whirl of darkness leaving behind the white Eldunari which he picked up slowly. Eragon strode forward and pulled Murtagh's arms to him and muttered "_Waise Heil." _Murtagh watched silently as his wounds closed up.

"That was a risky move." Murtagh chuckled as Eragon smiled slightly. Thorn landed beside him and gently nuzzled his neck. They looked around surveying the battlefield. The Empire's soldiers were obliterated and the field was deathly quiet. Raindrops started falling slowly as the sky darkened, a distant rumbling could be heard in the horizon indicating a thunderstorm. The rain washed away most of the blood and grime from his face and he welcomed it. Slowly the Varden soldiers started walking back to camp and cheers sounded throughout the soldiers. Nasuada suddenly came up behind them.

"I knew you would make the correct choice." She said eyeing Eragon graciously. He nodded as she knelt next to Murtagh with a tender expression on her face. Roran came up from behind them grinning widely as he pulled Eragon into a hug. Suddenly a loud voice tore through the Varden's celebrations.

"Congratulations, you have won Shadeslayer, but I am going to leave you with a parting gift." Eragon only recognized the voice too well as his rage grew. He looked straight ahead as Vulthuryol appeared from the sky and landed a few feet away from him and the rest of the Varden. Galbatorix was still on his Dragon looking down at the proceedings. Eragon's heart nearly stopped as he saw the silver haired elf that Aldor was holding by the neck in one hand, his white blade gleaming brightly in his other hand as he leapt off his Dragon. Eragon's eyes met Aeraela's and his heart went cold. "Your elf is beautiful Shadeslayer, I commend you on that."

"NO!" He screamed as he picked up his sword and dashed at Aldor as at the same time Murtagh followed behind him. Eragon felt a wave of hopelessness as time slowed down and despair took over him. Aldor slowly slid his blade straight through Aeraela's heart making her cry out in pain, tears blurred his vision as Aldor let go of her jumped back on his dragon. Saphira and Thorn were flying straight at them but Shruikan and Vulthuryol collided with them sending them spiraling back to the ground. Eragon reached Aeraela before she hit the ground and hugged her close trying to heal the wound pouring every bit of energy he had.

"Remember this Shadeslayer, love is meaningless. It is a bond that can so easily be crushed. Remember this and burn it to your memories." Aldor said before they flew away.

"No no no no, please…_waise heil waise heil_" Eragon kept muttering as he looked at Aeraela, her life was fading fast and no matter how much he tried the wound didn't seem to close. Without asking Murtagh for permission he drew energy from him too combining it with energy from Saphira and yet the wound wouldn't close. Aeraela slowly lifted her hand and stroked his cheek smiling softly.

"That's enough Eragon, let me go…" She trailed off weakly. Eragon shook his head violently, tears streaming down his face falling on her face as her eyes shone brightly. Her tears slowly fell as she looked at him. "I wish…" She paused as Eragon grabbed her hand mutely still trying to his best to heal her, "I wish we had more time together." Her voice broke.

"Don't leave me…" Eragon whispered in anguish "You said you will never leave me."

"Shh…" She put a finger to his lips and grabbed the back of his neck pulling him down to her. She pressed her lips softly against his trying to convey her emotions for the last time. She felt tears flow freely down her eyes as she opened her eyes to get one last look at him.

"_Amin mela lle" _Eragon whispered as he drew back. She was unable to speak for a moment as a her smile widened slightly.

"_Amin mela lleta"_ He cupped her cheek tenderly. She smiled for one last time before her eyes slowly shut and her arm fell limply to her side. As if on cue the rain intensified, no one took any notice of it as they looked on at the kneeling Rider with the elf in his arms in silence. Suddenly Eragon looked up at the sky and screamed trying to vent out the pain in his heart. The sound stabbed the hearts of the on lookers as he went on without stopping. Tears mixed with rain on his face as he stared madly at the darkened sky above him. The cheers of victory were gone as the Varden looked on in grief at their Rider who was shaking uncontrollably as his screaming continued. Nasuada was crying softly as the elves slowly approached. Arya had tears streaming down her face as she sank to her knees watching Eragon. Murtagh looked on sadly feeling his brother's pain while Saphira approached Eragon and wrapped her tail around him and the elf in his arms. Eragon slowly quieted down as he stared back at the beautiful elf lying peacefully in his arms. His mind was going blank with the pain his heart was giving him and he felt himself becoming steadily weaker. The last thing he knew before he slowly slid into the darkness was the smile on Aeraela's face and the feeling of loneliness as if he had just lost the light to guide him through the darkness inside of him.

**AN: Well, I guess you guys saw this coming. I am glad a lot of people liked Aeraela seeing as I based her off a close friend of mine. Honestly, this chapter affected me a lot while writing it. It was painful for me to kill her off like that. But then again, I gotta stay true to my word. Hope you guys liked this chapter :)**

**Hm, just want to clear this doubt now. Eragon is NOT a grey folk. Won't reveal anything more than that.**

**My break is over D: so I have quite a bit of catching up with work to do. BUT! I will update as soon as I possibly can. Please keep on reviewing :D who knows? I just might turn away from my other stuff and work on the next chapter a lot sooner that I am thinking right now lol. Thanks again for my regular reviewers and all the new people that reviewed! You guys honestly made my day awesome.**

**Translation – "**_Vel einradhin iet ai Shur'tugal" _"Upon my word as a Rider"

_"Amin mela lle" _"I love you"

"_Amin mela lleta" _"I love you too"


	10. Chapter 9

**Yeah…this chapter is a little, if not more angsty. **

**CHAPTER 9**

The wind hummed a low mournful tune as rain poured relentlessly. A man suddenly snapped his eyes open as a jolt of pain passed through his heart. He turned to look at a tall silver haired elf who was sitting in front of him meditating, but, his expression was not peaceful at all. On the contrary, his face betrayed sadness and suppressed anger. He sighed as he stared out of the dark space they were in at the gloomy sky covered with stormy grey clouds. He heard a grunt behind him and turned to find the elf straightening up slowly. His eyes met the elf's silver grey ones and watched him for a long moment before the elf nodded slowly, he groaned softly as he warily sat back down.

"He was broken?" He asked although he already knew the answer.

"Yes" The elf's voice was etched with sadness. He closed his eyes wishing he could be there to comfort him. A low female voice echoed in his mind.

_It was inevitable; he had to face it sooner or later_. The voice was gentle yet it too was filled with sadness. Tears slowly formed in his eyes.

"It's all my fault" He choked. The elf strode towards him and gently knelt next to him and grasped his shoulder tightly.

"It is not your fault, we cannot change fate" The elf said softly.

"I brought all of this on him. I passed on my battle to him. He will never have happiness because of me." Tears were flowing freely down his face now. Gentle hands slid around his neck and he looked up to find himself staring at warm brown eyes.

"Hush, he is not weak. He will pull through." Her gentle voice calmed him as he sank into her embrace. "I can feel her, she will be with us soon." She said softly. He nodded straightening up slowly as the elf and the woman next to him mimicked him. They slowly turned to look at the archway which was gleaming dimly white. He wanted to thank her. Even if it was for a short time, she gave him the happiness he deserved.

"There is still one person that can pull him through, I believe in her." The elf softly said as they watched the archway's glow intensify.

"As do I" He replied. "I have met her, I know we can count on her." He chuckled softly, "She is just as stubborn as he is, if not more." The elf laughed.

"That she is."

"We still have him" The elf said gesturing at a silver circular stone at a pedestal at their side.

"That which we were sworn to protect" The woman sighed softly. "How I wish I could see his face, I want to see how much he has grown."

"We cannot go out of this place, you know that. It is only because of the ancient magic that we can even remain like this. Once our task is completed we will have to continue on our way to the other side." The elf said sternly. The woman nodded slowly, her dark black hair concealing her face. But he knew she was hurt, he couldn't comfort her as he knew the words he heard were true.

"He will come to us soon, do not worry. We will be reunited with him before we pass to the other side one last time, until that we just have to wait as we had all these years." She smiled uncertainly at him, then her face grew sad again.

"I just hope…he can make it here. I don't know what I'll do if he…if he…" She trailed off, her voice breaking. He put his arm around her as the elf looked on sadly.

"He is strong, both physically and mentally. And he has his partner of heart and soul and more people than he can count that care for him. Of course he will be alright." He said confidently unwilling to let his voice waver. She didn't say anything as she relaxed next to him. The archway was now slowly opening and they all turned to it, preparing to greet the newcomer.

* * *

><p>A painful rush of memories kept playing in his head. He could do nothing but look on helplessly as the woman he loved was stabbed and then watch as she her eyes slowly closed. The memories kept repeating, taunting him, breaking him. He could no longer tell the difference between reality and his dreams. Suddenly, the memories were gone and he found himself staring back at the mirror image of himself. They looked at each other before he slowly sank to his knees.<p>

"Eragon…" Fuin said softly as he crouched silently next to him, laying down his grey sword beside him. Eragon noticed then that he was holding Brisingr tightly which he let go in front of him.

"Eragon, I cannot expect you to pull yourself together now. But please, promise me you will try. We cannot come out of these dark times otherwise."

Eragon opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. He tried again.

"What is the point? No matter what we do we can't change anything. All that happens is we lose the people we come to care about. First Garrow, then Brom, then Oromis. And now finally…" He trailed off, unable to say her name. "The people that care about us, they all come to the same end." Fuin shook his head.

"There are still more that need you." Eragon remained quiet. "They will need you. If you claim how everyone that ever cared for us comes to the same end, we are needed now, more than ever." Fuin sighed softly. Then he bent down and picked up the grey blade. Then, after a moment's hesitation he picked up the blue sword too. "I will give this back to you when you are ready. Until then I will be at your side the whole time. The Varden cannot afford to have its best warrior crippled." Eragon watched silently as Fuin walked away and the darkness once again descended around him.

* * *

><p>Incomprehensible voices cluttered his hearing as he slowly opened his eyes. A big blue wing covered him. He closed his eyes again but opened his eyes after a few moments as tears came to his eyes again. Aeraela's smiling face kept haunting him and he wasn't prepared for the mental torture now. Unwillingly he tapped softly on the blue wing. Slowly the blue wing lifted off him. His eyes slowly came into focus as they adjusted to the light. His eyes fell on Arya and Murtagh, both who were watching him carefully. Saphira snaked her long neck around him and softly brushed at his cheek. He didn't have the will to speak at the moment so he slowly straightened up. He could feel their gazes on him and mildly wondered why they were looking so attentively at him.<p>

_Little one? _Saphira's voice gently hummed in his mind. _How…_She hesitated, _How are you feeling now? _She asked tentatively. He didn't respond immediately as he stared absently to the distance. They were on the hillside next to his tent. He found himself unable to look at Murtagh and Arya, both who were still watching him. He didn't have the strength to use his voice.

_Still alive _He said softly. _When…_He swayed weakly at the thought and Murtagh was already standing to catch him. He gritted his teeth and forced his legs to stop trembling. Murtagh watched him closely before he stepped back. _When are they burying her? _

He felt Saphira's sadness pour into him as she spoke. _The elves…wanted to wait for you before they buried her. _He felt gratitude as she said it.

_I will be back, I want to be by myself for now. Please ask the elves to wait for me if they come._ Saphira nodded. He walked past Murtagh and Arya, he didn't trust himself to speak properly yet. He hesitated before he walked inside his tent and picked up both his swords and placed them in their sheaths at his side. Before he walked out he looked in the mirror and felt surprised for a moment. His once gleaming sapphire blue eye was now an icy violet, the other eye was unchanged. He looked at it for a moment before he shrugged and walked out. It didn't matter anymore. Neither Murtagh nor Arya followed him for which he was grateful. He walked on for some time before he finally reached his destination. The meadow next to the river where Aeraela had admitted her love for him. He stood watching the place where they had talked and laughed together just days ago. He remembered everything right up to where she had admitted she loved him and they had kissed for the first time. His heartbeat increased slightly and he felt tears slowly fall down his face. He let them fall as he slowly sat down where he himself had that day. As he looked up he thought he saw her in front of him, smiling her beautiful smile at him. He drew his knees up to his stomach and hugged his legs tightly to him, nails digging deep into his legs. He stayed that way until the tears stopped slowly and he straightened up to find the skies were already colored a light orange, indicating it was going to be dark in a few hours. He stood up and ran back to the camp, the pain in his heart growing with every step he took. He reached the camp to find the soldiers all around the camp gazing at him in sadness and pity. As he walked through the camp to the tent in the middle where he could see the elves standing he heard gasps of surprise around him. No doubt, about the new color of his eye. As he drew closer to the elves he saw Calanon approach him slowly, his face one of sadness.

"Shadeslayer." He said. He didn't intiate the elven greeting but Eragon hardly cared.

"Where is she?" He was surprised his voice even came out. The elves around him softened their gazes visibly as they heard his quiet, shaking voice.

"In there" He replied indicating the tent behind him.

"We…" Eragon couldn't speak for a moment. He could see Nasuada, Orik, Roran, Katrina and King Orrin standing together a little way away from the tent watching him silently. His eyes fell on Arya, Murtagh and Angela, who for once, seemed at a loss for words. The camp was deathly quiet as no one said anything. Unable to say anything next to the Rider's despair.

"We will bury her now." With a jolt he remembered the elves that died protecting Arya. "Her and the others if you find it agreeable."

"Of course." Calanon said. Eragon had to take a moment to strengthen himself before he spoke again.

"I know a place." With that he slowly ducked inside the tent before his nerve failed him. He slowly walked deeper inside ignoring the two other bodies that were lying on beds next to him. Finally his turned at the last bed. A terrible sense of longing filled him as he gazed upon the silver haired elf lying on the bed. She still had the same smile that she had when she died in his arms and looked almost as if she was sleeping. Suddenly his legs gave way as he collapsed to his knees gripping the edge of the bed. He moaned softly as he fought to control his emotions, he felt Saphira trying to reach to him but he pushed her away. Suddenly a sharp pain laced across his chest bringing back the old pain from the wound Aldor gave him. He welcomed it, it was the least he could do for failing her. He felt a hand grip his shoulder after a while and looked up to see Calanon looking at him worriedly. He shook his head slightly and stood up.

"I will take her, bring the others." He gently picked her up, cradling her like a baby in his arms and walked out careful not to jostle her in any way. The crowd gathered outside parted the way as he silently moved through them. As he moved towards the riverside he was dimly aware of the elves that stood protectively around him and the whole Varden camp following him. Blodhgarm and Calanon were carrying the two fallen warriors with them. There was not a sound to be heard, even the little children didn't dare speak a word as they followed in the wake of the Rider. Finally they reached the river and Eragon motioned for the others indicating the spots. He kept Aeraela in his arms as the elves silently used magic to move the earth and fashion modest tombs for the two elves. He murmured his blessings distractedly to them but no one reprimanded him as he stepped back and walked a little away from the crowd. He forced himself to look down at her again, he could have sworn she was now smiling a little wider and for a second he thought how easy it would be to just kill himself to join her on the other side. No, he still had to carry out his duty. If he died trying, well, it didn't matter. He became aware of the elves singing a beautiful, yet lamenting song of loss. He was surprised when he saw Arya herself was singing with the elves. He memorized every word he could while he waited. Saphira padded towards him slowly and settled beside him near the river while they watched two majestic trees, greener than any he had seen, grow in place of the tombs. Finally they stopped and Eragon knew the time was now. He looked pleadingly at Saphira who nodded without hesitation. He walked forward and gently set her on the ground. He gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand letting his tears fall on her face before he wiped them away. Gently, he pressed his lips against hers for a brief moment before he straightened up and backed away while Saphira approached. She paused for a moment before she gently placed the tip of her snout near the ground next to the elf. The crowd murmured and gasped as a clear diamond grew from the spot. It expanded around the elf until it completely encased her sealing her off from the world. Eragon shakily walked towards the tomb and placed his hand on top of it over her face and looked at Saphira gratefully. Then he shakily straightened up and placed a hand on Saphira's side as he didn't trust himself to remain on his feet without support. Slowly he sang as clearly as he could, he had altered the elve's song a little but the effect was calming and the trees seemed to sway in tune.

_Or 'waith bain nura Anor  
>A panlû elin cuinar<br>Ú-pedithon 'i-aur gwann'  
>Egor nai îl 'namarië<em>

He repeated the same verses over and over until he finally stopped. The crowd watched in amazement as a tree grew, its leaves a vibrant green and it seemed to emit its own silvery glow. He slowly slid down and leaned against the tree ignoring the crowd that looked on. Slowly he saw the people beginning to disperse. Saphira padded over to him and touched his shoulder with her snout before she flew away. He looked around him, he was utterly alone. The feeling was too strong, he couldn't take it anymore. The people that cared about him were never going to come back to him again.

"WHY?" He yelled out loud. "WHY DO YOU ALWAYS TAKE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAR TO ME?" He screamed cowering his head with his arms before he felt himself calming down slightly. Then, without warning, he blacked out.

* * *

><p>Arya sat staring at the blank canvas of her tent. She wanted to comfort Eragon, she wanted to be there with him and yet she didn't know how to close the gap between them. She felt tears sliding down her face when she realized it just might be like this for the rest of their lives.<p>

_Why didn't I listen to my heart sooner? _

She didn't try to fight with herself any longer. Watching Eragon and Aeraela had only made her realize that she was in love with the Rider. Watching Eragon's agony over Aeraela had stabbed her heart continuously as she watched him. She shuddered as she remembered seeing Eragon's eye. It clearly showed loss, pain and suffering. She felt as if she could experience the same emotions as he did if she stared into his eyes. She missed the beautiful blue eye he had, she felt a tremor of fear every time she saw his eyes, they spoke of darkness, hate and solitude. She sighed as she looked at her mirror, it had been a long time since her face showed so many emotions. Try as she might, she couldn't make her mask anymore. At that moment the mirror shimmered and her mother looked back at her through the mirror. They looked at each other for a long moment before Arya stiffly started the elven greeting.

"No my daughter, there need not be any formalities between us" Islanzadi said in a hurt voice. She nodded and fell silent. "How is he?"

Arya took a moment before she replied, "He lives"

"Ah… I received word that the red Rider has joined the Varden and the green egg is now in your possession."

"Yes." She got up and went to get the egg which was safely inside a bag next to her. Angela had given it to her as soon as they returned saying it was not her place to keep the egg. She gingerly took it out and brought it in front of the mirror to show her mother. The Queen watched her for a long moment.

"What has distressed you so?"

Arya stared blankly back at her, "What you ask? Look at our Rider, he is but a shell of his former self. I fear he will not be the same again." She did not know why she was voicing her thoughts now, least of all to her mother, the one who had pushed her away for so long.

"I see" Arya bit her lip.

"Why? Why did you send Aeraela to the battle? She was still a child, she is the cause of Eragon's distress which I fear will distract him from his duty." There was no going back now.

Islanzadi looked at her for a long moment before replying. "She told me of her infatuation with Eragon, she insisted on coming with the reinforcements so I obliged…and…" Islanzadi hesitated, "I have seen the way he looks at you and it displeases me" Blank shock registered across Arya's face as she felt herself shaking furiously.

"You sent her just so Eragon will not pursue me?" Islanzadi's eyes went cold.

"It worked did it not?"

"Look at him!" She found herself unable to look at her mother as her words failed her. Fresh tears started leaking down her face as she sat back down on her bed. She couldn't stop the next words that came out. "You took him away from me." Her voice trembled as she realized what she said, but what was done was done. Tentatively she looked up at Islanzadi who was staring at her. Then Islanzadi's expression softened noticeably.

"I'm sorry" She could hardly believe her ears. "I have wronged you again my daughter" The mirror shimmered again before her mother disappeared. She cradled the egg still in her arms as she lay back down on her bed. She felt a vast consciousness touch her mind and she stiffened before she recognized Saphira and let her in.

_Arya? Have you seen Eragon? _The Dragon's voice shook from poorly concealed emotion.

_No, he's not back yet? _Arya rose as she peered outside. It was dark now and it must have been hours since they had left him on the riverside.

_No…I can't contact him, it's not like he's pushing me away, I find myself unable to find him._ Arya tried to ignore the growing feeling of dread as she heard Saphira's words.

_Come, we will go to him_ She placed the egg carefully inside the bag again before she went outside her tent to find Saphira waiting for her. She broke into a run in the direction of the riverside while Saphira took flight. As she was nearing the outskirts of the forest leading to the river she slowed her pace as her eyes fell on a figure striding out from the darkness, a gleaming violet eye looked directly at her and she felt relief flood back to her veins. She slowly walked towards him but something felt wrong. She quickly contacted Saphira, _Saphira he is here in front of me_ Saphira dropped from the sky and landed next to her as they both watched Eragon walking towards them.

_I can't feel him _Saphira said mournfully. Eragon slowly came into view before them and he stopped in front of them. He looked directly at Saphira.

"This will be difficult to explain, please let me show you." Saphira slowly nodded and Arya watched as Eragon placed his hand on her head. After a few moments Saphira whimpered and backed away.

_Saphira! What's wrong? _

_That…is not the same Eragon we know _Arya felt like her heart turned to ice as she looked at his eyes which were focused on her now.

"Arya Drottningu, I assume Saphira told you?" She flinched at his voice, it was the same as Eragon's and yet it did not have the warmth that she had come to expect from him.

"What is going on?" He shook his head slowly.

"May I?" He asked raising his hand. She nodded and let him place his hand on her head. Suddenly a torrent of memories passed into her, they disappeared almost as quickly as they had come but she registered each and every one of them. She saw watched from a side as she saw Eragon speaking with himself, one holding Brisingr while the other held Fuin. She heard Fuin explain himself to Eragon about Brom and the Vault of Souls. Lastly she saw Eragon's tortured face as he yelled in despair and finally quieted down before he closed his eyes. She opened her eyes fighting back tears.

"Fuin" She murmured. He nodded silently.

"We are the same being; I am everything he is not while he is everything I am not."

"Will he…?" She asked quietly.

"He has to, I know not when. All I know is that he has to pull himself out of the darkness he has surrounded himself in. He has lost all will to live." He patted Saphira gently as he spoke, then he looked directly at Arya.

"I have seen everything and felt everything he has, you are the only person that can pull him through now. Saphira and I can only do so much." He walked past her while she was frozen in place. His voice dropped to a menacing whisper, "Take care you do not make the same mistakes you had earlier princess. Aeraela was a comfort to us like no other and I doubt you can ever be the same to us as she has but I only speak to you because you are the only hope we have. That is all I have to say to you." He walked away with Saphira padding silently behind him while she tried to make sense of what she had heard. She walked back to her tent and lay down on her bed, her mind buzzing with thoughts as she drifted off to her trance.

* * *

><p>Arya woke up as the sun shone brightly through the opening in her tent. She got up and placed her sword at her waist and picked up the bag with the egg in it and slung it across her back before going out. She wandered through the camp trying to find Eragon and Saphira but could find no trace of them even near their tent. She came across Murtagh as she neared Nasuada's tent.<p>

"Murtagh, have you seen Eragon anywhere?" His shook his head.

"I wanted to speak to him but he never returned to his tent in the night, I was waiting for him." He said quietly. "How is he?"

"I do not know" She sighed before she looked at the man before her. She noticed how both his and Eragon's brown eyes, well in Eragon's case, one eye, were precisely the same shade of brown. This did not help. "How are the Varden treating you?" She asked distractedly.

"They don't keep trying to kill me anymore which is a good thing I suppose." He chuckled darkly. "Nasuada managed to convince everyone I was now on their side. The dwarves are not convinced though. It's not like I expected anything more." The last part he said bitterly stirring pity in Arya. She nodded before she walked away from him. There was only one place Eragon could be now and she tentatively walked towards the riverside. Sure enough, there was Eragon lying against the tree he had sung for Aeraela. She cautiously approached him and sat in front of him. He looked blankly at her for a moment before he looked away.

"Arya" He murmured softly. She felt herself relaxing slightly, through his soft voice she recognized it was the same Eragon she had always known. But his voice frightened her, it was like he was slowly losing himself.

"Yes?"

"How different would it have been?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. She looked at him puzzled.

"Aldor went straight for her, he knew my heart belonged to her then" His face had a pained expression as he went on. "I thought I knew who was going to be targeted. I thought logically, the way Oromis taught me, and I came to your side. If only I didn't involve myself with her, she would still be alive" He covered his face with his hands as he leaned back against the tree. Arya tentatively stood torn between wanting to comfort him and her feelings. She looked up at the tree and for a second it seemed like the tree's branches were beckoning her. Unsure of whether is was an illusion or not she walked to him and sat beside him. Eragon stiffened at the contact but then relaxed slightly and slowly lowered his hands looking at the horizon with a distant look on his face.

"Where's Saphira?" She asked.

"She's with Thorn, I asked her to leave me be for now" She fell silent as she looked at him. Dark circles were slowly appearing under his eyes and he looked as though he had gotten thinner over the past day. She lightly touched his hand with hers and for a moment she saw pain reflected in his eyes. She turned away and tightened her grip, she felt she understood what Fuin had told her before. She heard Solembum's words _Your friend will change in the near future, the one you know will cease to exist. However that cannot be allowed to happen, for Alagaesia needs him to reset the balance. Your choices will determine the final outcome, choose wisely_. She was never going to let him go again.

A sudden cracking sound broke the silence and in a flash Eragon pulled away from her and drew Fuin out which blazed with purple flames almost immediately. Arya too jumped to her feet drawing her sword and surveyed their surroundings. Another crack broke the silence again and she turned with dawning comprehension to her bag. She was hardly able to understand the implications as she slowly undid the bag bringing out the egg which had cracks all over it. She looked at Eragon who had a shocked expression on his face. She turned back to egg which was now rocking violently until the shell burst open. Shards flew out and one got lodged painfully on her arm. A hand touched her softly as she turned to see Eragon beside her healing her wound. Her ears grew hot as she looked back at the egg where in place of it was a small green Dragon licking away some of the shells that still covered its body. It suddenly looked up in a swift bird-like movement and stretched out its wings and bared its teeth before falling over unable to stand properly. The little Dragon got up shakily again and walked out of its shell and looked straight at her. She shook her head violently and backed away. Eragon looked at her and nodded his head and stepped back. The Dragon squeaked indignantly and tried to run towards her but it fell over again causing her lips to curve slightly upwards. She walked slowly up to it and knelt before it and tentatively reached towards the Dragon. It looked up at the hand and stretched its neck out slowly and the instant her hand made contact a blast of icy energy surged through hand and up her arm burning like fire. Every part of her body was overcome with pain as she cried out and fell backwards. After what seemed like hours the pain stopped and she looked at her hand to find the gedwey Ignasia imprinted on her hand just like Eragon's. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see Eragon looking at her, she thought for a moment she saw a ghost of a smile pass through his face.

"Argetlam Arya" He murmured softly as she gazed at the little Dragon that was now staring up at Eragon, its eyes widened curiously. It jumped up to Arya's arms and purred softly like a cat still watching Eragon. He slid back down the tree as he looked at the little Dragon with a far blank expression on his face.

"I have told Saphira, she, Murtagh and Thorn are on their way" Arya nodded as she looked at the little Dragon nestled in her arms. She stroked its neck causing it to hum just like Saphira did and she felt a wave of happiness pass through her which she realized after a few moments was in fact, coming from the Dragon. The sound of beating wings filled the air as two large shapes sped towards them. Saphira immediately went to Eragon and nuzzled at his neck who in turn stroked her neck silently. Murtagh got off Thorn and crouched down in front of Arya.

"So, we have a new Rider now" His tone was slightly cheerful. Thorn walked closer to Arya as she stiffened slightly. He touched the little Dragon's snout with his causing it to make a peculiar sneezing sound as it stared back at the Dragon with an annoyed expression. Thorn thrummed with laughter and even Arya felt the corners of her mouth twitch as she felt a smile flit across her face. She looked at Eragon who was now looking blankly at the horizon absently stroking Saphira's long neck. Saphira hummed softly as she looked at Arya.

_It's a male _

_Really? _Arya asked as she looked back at the Dragon. It was now once again looking closely at Eragon. _How can you say? _

_They have their differences _Arya nodded. She looked up to see Murtagh looking at her. He jerked his head slightly towards Eragon and she shook her head answering his unasked question.

"I will tell Nasuada what happened" He said before he mounted Thorn and they flew away. Saphira looked at Arya sadly.

_He will not let me into his mind _Saphira's voice echoed in her mind.

_It's alright Saphira, I will stay with him. _Saphira nodded as she turned her long neck to Eragon. Eragon's face softened slight as he rubbed her snout. Saphira stretched out her wings and took flight again leaving them alone. She gazed down at the little green Dragon who was now watching Saphira in wonder. She sighed softly as she turned back to Eragon who was watching Saphira fly away. Suddenly her Dragon squeaked and jumped off her arms and ran towards Eragon who looked in surprise at it. It stumbled a little again as it slowed to a crawled and jumped up to his leg with a flutter of its wings. It then crawled up to his shoulder where it settled humming and nuzzling his neck. She felt happy as she saw her Dragon nestled comfortably on Eragon's shoulder and for a moment she saw Eragon smile, the same smile that warmed her heart every time she saw it. Eragon slowly got up and carefully picked up the small Dragon and walked over to her and placed it gently in her arms.

"Feed him, he might be hungry" He said quietly and walked past her. She almost reached for his hand to pull him into her arms but stopped herself at the last moment. He stopped again while she looked at him, her Dragon watching him curiously. "Thank you" He whispered before he walked on. Arya felt a sharp throb of pain in her heart as she watched him go.

"Don't go" She said quietly but she was unsure whether he had heard it or not as he kept walking and disappeared from view. She fought back the tears that threatened to fall again as her Dragon squeaked and got up to her shoulder and wrapped its tail around her neck. She stood there looking back at the tree before she turned and followed in Eragon's wake.

**AN: lol I see people have mixed opinions about Aeraela but im happy to see a majority of you liked her xD. **

**I do agree that the Eragon and Aeraela was kind of too short. But I had to end it soon cuz I didn't want to keep putting up filler chapters, I want the story to progress faster.**

**This chapter is mostly focused on Eragon's feelings and whatnot so hopefully the next chapter will be a lot more entertaining. **

**About the first part, yes I wanted to confuse you guys but there will be some of you that actually caught on to what exactly was going on there. If you guys figured it out, dammit! If not, awesome! But I'm just saying don't predict who they might be cuz it might just spoil it for the others who had no clue :P **

**Lastly, thank you so much for the reviews :) you guys sure do know how to make a guy happy lol, I kept hanging on to my phone everytime an email alert came of a review and i abandoned everything I was doing to read em. Im really happy that you guys liked the battle scene too. **

**I wasn't even thinking about updating today but yea, im a sucker for good reviews :P sooooo…you guys now know what makes me update faster xD Use the power wisely :D**

**Now, force me to yet again abandon my other stuff and write up the next chapter (^^)**

**Thanks again for reading this, peace out. **


	11. Chapter 10

**I am extremely sorry for the late update guys :( **

**Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 10**

Eragon sighed as he lent against Saphira's neck feeling the wind rushing past him as Saphira flew slowly towards the riverside. He spent most of his time under the tree he had sung for Aeraela now, it was the only place where he could think properly without his mind being in a constant haze of pain. Saphira started her descent as his eyes snapped open, a few minutes later she gently landed and crouched low for him to dismount. He could feel her worry as he painfully slid off her back and landed rather roughly on the ground, stumbling slightly. He didn't know why but over the past few days he had felt his body weakening. He had constantly felt his mind being drawn to an unknown entity and his resistance was slowly crumbling. He confided in no one about this, he hated the pity reflected in everyone's eyes as they looked at him. They made him feel weak, something that was making it hard for him to keep his emotions in check.

_Little one you can't go on like this _Saphira said as he swayed on his feet and braced against Saphira while they walked towards the tree. Eragon didn't answer as he leaned against it and slid down closing his eyes. Again the pain ravaged in him as he fought to keep hold of his consciousness. It felt unreal, one of the reasons why he was reluctant about telling anyone else about it. It felt as if he was being pulled out of his body. After a few moments his mind was blissfully pain free as the surroundings came into focus with Saphira watching him closely. He hadn't been able to speak with Fuin or feel his presence at all, it felt as though there was a wall separating them. He felt as if he had lost a part of himself which was with the woman he loved, who will never return to him.

_This is nothing Saphira_ He grimaced slightly, _I have no say in what changes in my body anymore _as he said that he remembered how he had seen himself when he looked at his reflection in the morning. He could hardly recognize himself, he was thinner and his face had lost almost all of its human features that differentiated him from a true elf, his eyes had almost no life in them, he hated those eyes and yet they felt right. They spoke of loss and pain, both which he was going through now. Saphira wrapped her tail around him as she laid her head next to him. He knew Saphira was doing her best to help him but there was only so much she could do, that and his reluctance at being around people anymore cut them off from the rest of the world. He sighed and looked up at the tree which was emitting a faint silvery glow. He could almost see Aeraela looking at him, her gorgeous smile present on her lips. Suddenly he heard a squeak from behind him and all of the sudden a small object collided on his side. He looked down to find Arya's Dragon looking up at him, its eyes huge. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch as he smiled helplessly as Saphira snorted in amusement. The little Dragon tried to crawl up his leg and tried to crawl up to his shoulder but slipped on his tunic which was made of a silky material. It growled a little and dug its claws into his tunic as it forcefully made its way up to his shoulder. He winced a little but soon it settled on his shoulder wrapping its tail around his neck and closed its eyes humming softly. It was becoming a habit over the past few days now but Eragon didn't mind. It never failed to make him smile a little and he affectionately rubbed its snout.

"He likes you a lot" A musical voice broke the silence as he looked to its source. Sure enough Arya was striding towards them and she sat down next to him leaning against the tree. Initially he was mildly surprised by her actions but he welcomed it. Her presence comforted him and he was glad she stayed with him the way she did. The little Dragon suddenly started pulling Arya's sleeve with his teeth towards him. Eragon and Saphira watched as he kept tugging while Arya kept resisting, when he showed no sign of relenting she relaxed and let him pull her. When she was pressed side by side with Eragon it hummed in satisfaction and again curled up around his neck. It looked at him and squeaked as if trying to tell him something and laid its head down on his shoulder and closed its eyes again. They sat together in comfortable silence until Eragon suddenly felt like he was pulled away, his defenses crushed. In an instant the forest, Saphira, Arya and the little Dragon disappeared and he was surrounded by darkness. He looked around and he couldn't get rid of the growing fear in his heart. He noticed a lone figure standing in front of him and he cautiously approached it, his eyes widened in surprise as he saw it was someone he recognized too well, her silver hair flowing behind her back. He broke into a run trying to close the distance between them but he couldn't reach her. She suddenly turned around to look at him and what he saw terrified him. Half of her face was covered in blood and there was a deep gash on her chest. Her eyes were just two empty sockets.

_You let me die _She whispered. It was her voice, but at the same time it was not. It was hoarse and ghastly. She lifted a finger and pointed it accusingly at him. _I loved you but you did not care for me. You weren't there for me._ Those words stabbed Eragon like white hot spears as he backed away shaking his head.

_Forgive me _He whispered, a scalding pain erupted in his head as if a needle was being slowly inserted into his head. She advanced on him as his legs gave way as he clawed at his head in pain. Suddenly, her horrible apparition vanished and he was left shaking in the darkness. He was scared, terrified out of his wits. He could feel another presence but he had never felt anything like it, it was as if it was sapping the life out of him, his will to live. A silver cloaked figure was standing before him.

_We can make it much worse for you Shadeslayer _its voice seemed to be crackling with energy and it was like it could reach into the deepest reaches of his soul. _We can put your mind and body through pain you never even dreamed of. Not even death can save you from it. _Eragon felt like his head was being cleaved in two and an involuntary scream escaped his lips. _That is only a small taste. We will show ourselves to you Shadeslayer. When we do I trust you will make the proper choice. _With that the figure vanished and he became aware of frantic voices and someone shaking him roughly. He opened his eyes to see Arya worriedly peering at him and Saphira standing behind her gazing at him. He became aware he was lying flat on his back and he groaned as he tried to sit up. Arya gripped him tightly on his shoulder and helped him lie back against the tree. He felt a slight tug at his leg and looked down to see the little Dragon peering at him making a strange purring noise.

"I'm alright little one" He said quietly as he stroked its neck making it hum softly.

"We need to take you to the healers Eragon, you started seizing and the wound on your chest opened again" Her voice shook slightly as she spoke and as he looked at her he realized her usual indifferent mask was gone and replaced by one of worry. He looked at her eyes for a long time trying to decide when he had last seen such warmth in anyone's eyes since _she _died. He looked down and noticed his tunic was bloodstained. Peering through the tunic he saw the scar was as fresh as the day he received it. "I healed you as best I could but…" Arya trailed off uncertainly. He nodded slightly but didn't speak as he looked away. "What ails you?" She asked quietly as she sat next to him.

"Nothing" He said, he was alarmed at how weak his voice sounded.

"Please, let me help you" She said in the same quiet voice. He didn't say anything as Saphira curled up around them while the little dragon propped itself up on Arya's lap.

* * *

><p>Time passed by slowly while she kept stealing glances at the Rider next to her. She wanted to help him but she didn't know how to. Over the past few days she had been alarmed at how much Eragon was changing. She couldn't see a trace of his old self on him now. His warm eyes she liked so much were gone and his face had a gaunt look on it. She knew he was hiding something, his winces and sudden increase in breathing had not passed unnoticed by her. Her Dragon snorted softly, now fast asleep on her lap. She smiled as she looked down at it scratching behind its ears. After an initial flare of jealousy she loved how her Dragon fawned over Eragon so much. As she sat with him she remembered some of Oromis's scrolls that were in her possession regarding wounds inflicted by magic. She was willing to try anything to help Eragon so she stood up carefully cradling the little Dragon in her arms. She looked down at Eragon who was still looking at the horizon blankly.<p>

"I will be back soon" She murmured. Unsure of whether he heard or not she turned to walk away but found Eragon's hand suddenly gripping her wrist. She looked around to see Eragon looking at her with a pained expression on his face. Saphira too was curiously watching the scene before her. After a long moment Eragon spoke and her heart dropped when she heard the weakness in his voice.

"Stay with me" He whispered. She could hear the desperation and uncertainty in his voice as she searched his eyes that were fixed on hers. She nodded and sat back down next to him and after a moment she pulled Eragon's head towards her and leaned his head on her shoulder as she gripped his hand tightly. Her Dragon hummed as it settled back in her lap and closed its eyes as she felt a strange feeling pass through her and felt her heart beat faster as she felt him relax into her. She looked up at the tree which was faintly glowing again and swaying gently. Her eyes fell on their entwined hands and she found herself wanting to never let go of his hand again. Saphira's voice suddenly sounded in her head and with a jolt she realized her mind was open, letting her emotions pour out.

_Thank you Arya _Saphira said gently.

_For what? _She asked although she wasn't entirely clueless. Saphira seemed to hesitate for a moment.

_For accepting my Rider, and for not pushing him away _She felt her heart beat faster as she looked down again at Eragon who was asleep now. She tightened her grip on his hand and leaned her head against his.

_I'm sorry for pushing him away all this time _She said. Saphira hummed softly as she also closed her eyes contently.

* * *

><p>Murtagh walked up to Nasuada's tent and was stopped by her guards.<p>

"State your business Shadeslayer" An odd feeling passed through him as heard him addressed that way.

"Lady Nasuada requested my presence" He replied.

"Enter" A voice called from inside the tent. He walked inside and found Nasuada alone in the tent. He felt the color rise to his cheeks as their eyes met. He heard rumbling laughter in his mind and grimaced. Thorn was going to get a bucket full of water over him he resolved, Thorn hated getting wet.

"Ah, Murtagh…" She smiled before she spoke again "Or do you prefer Shadeslayer now?"

"If it's you, I'd prefer you call me by my name" She nodded, her face immediately darkened.

"Murtagh, I need you to go with Roran Stronghammer's company and help them capture the city of Aroughs. I know your fealty lies with Eragon and I would normally send him but…" She trailed off with a pained expression. He nodded in understanding.

"Eragon may be my liege lord but my loyalty lays with you as well Nasuada" He said softly. "I thought you knew that" She smiled uncertainly at him before turning back to the paperwork at her desk.

"Thank you" she murmured. He inclined his head respectfully before he walked back outside.

_Where are you Thorn? _In response he received an image of a rather fat deer and he felt a ravenous hunger stir in him.

_Always hungry _He said shaking his head. He walked back inside his tent.

_Murtagh! _A female voice rumbled in his mind. He recognized Rënn's voice as he walked over to the white Eldunari and picked it up.

_Yes Rënn elda? _He asked as he sat on his bed.

_Glaedr's pupil, who is he? _In response Murtagh projected an image of Eragon. She fell silent as Murtagh waited patiently.

_This is troublesome _Roslarb's deep voice sounded. The yellow Eldunari glowing slightly.

_There is a disturbance in Alagaesia. _Rënn said quietly. Murtagh waited for one of them to elaborate, it wasn't unusual for the dragons to get distracted.

_Your brother, you and he do not share the same father _Roslarb said. At this Murtagh was shocked.

_What do you mean? _He asked, Thorn was listening intently now. Suddenly he got an image of Brom. _Do you know this man? _Roslarb suddenly asked, his voice laced with hatred.

_Brom, he was with Eragon and Saphira when they were travelling to the Varden. _

The Dragon roared viciously and he could feel Rënn's distaste too. Murtagh was utterly bewildered and he could feel Thorn's surprise too.

_We cannot say anymore Murtagh, but warn your brother, our vows of silence keep us from speaking with anyone of his race. Warn him, they are coming for him. _Murtagh's head was reeling with questions. His race? Vows of silence? Warnings? Their fathers were not the same? No matter how hard he tried he couldn't squeeze any answers out of the Dragons.

_What was all that about? _He asked Thorn

_Find Eragon _Thorn replied. He nodded and got up. It was common knowledge now that Eragon spent most of his time in the riverside. He walked through the outskirts of the camp towards the clearing beside the river. He was surprised when he saw Arya and Eragon together, hands entwined and leaning on each other, both seemingly asleep. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch when he saw the two dragons fast asleep, the little green Dragon on Arya's lap and Saphira with her head lying in front of the sight of Arya's content expression he felt a strange longing when he saw the two of them together and his thoughts unwillingly drifted to Nasuada. As he approached closer Arya's eyes snapped open and she looked at him. She lifted a finger to her lips and Murtagh felt irritated but nevertheless he prodded her consciousness asking for entrance. After a few seconds he found himself surrounded by the strange drawing melody in her mind.

_What is it Shadeslayer? _She sounded a little annoyed and Murtagh chuckled to himself.

_I needed to ask Eragon something…_He said. She shook her head slightly. No, he needed to know.

_Eragon is not Morzan's son is he? _He asked her bluntly. She looked at him and he could see pity in her eyes and he immediately regretted asking her.

_Yes, he is the son of Brom and Selena. _He swayed where he stood but immediately recomposed himself.

_I see_ He paused. _I have something to show you, will you let me? _

Arya nodded slowly, careful not to jostle Eragon's head as she did. He shared the memory of his conversation with Rënn and Roslarb with her and he felt her questions right after he finished.

_Don't ask me, they wouldn't tell me anything. _Arya looked thoughtfully at him.

_I will ask Glaedr elda about this, thank you _She said. He nodded before he walked away. He spotted Thorn flying towards him just as he stepped out of the forest leading to the river and stood patiently waiting for him. Thorn landed gracefully in front of him and he wordlessly mounted climbed to his back.

_Fly? _Thorn asked. He smiled.

_We fly _He agreed, Thorn beat his wings and pushed himself off the ground and flew slowly in a Western direction while they watched the sun slowly disappear beyond the horizon.

_Murtagh? _Thorn hesitantly asked. He looked curiously at his Dragon. _How are you feeling? _

_I'm alright Thorn _He sighed. _I envy him a little to be honest, he's free of Morzan's shadow. Some part of me already knew he couldn't be a son of a monster. One monster is enough for a family. _Thorn growled at his words.

_Do you think I would ever have chosen you to be my Rider if you are what you believe yourself to be? I waited for years for my partner, it wasn't coincidence I chose you. _He felt elated at Thorn's words and gratefully patted Thorn's neck. When they were in view of the Varden camp once more Thorn started his descent and landed outside the camp.

_You're not coming in? _Murtagh asked.

_No, I don't like being around people _Thorn replied. He nodded and watched him fly away for a moment before he turned and walked inside. He was walking in the direction of his tent when he found a bearded man waiting outside his tent, a hammer on his belt. He looked familiar and he realized with a jolt he was looking at Roran, Eragon's cousin. With a jolt he realized he was looking at part of his family too. Roran came out a slight grin on his face and his hand outstretched.

"Murtagh, I believe this is the first time we met" His voice was pleasant.

"Aye, a pleasure to finally meet you captain Stronghammer, I have heard much about you" He replied grasping his hand. Roran chuckled.

"There is no need for formalities, we are cousins after all" A warm feeling passed through him at his words. He gestured at Roran to come inside but he refused.

"I wanted to meet you once before we ride to Aroughs, I have some preparations I need to make. I trust we will have plenty of time to speak on our journey." He smiled as he nodded. "We will see each other again soon" Roran said before walking away.

_He is pleasant _Thorn's voice rumbled in his head as he ducked inside his tent. He laid Zar'roc beside his bed as he got onto it and closed his eyes. _Is he part of your nest? _Thorn asked curiously. Murtagh chuckled at the question.

_Aye_

* * *

><p>Arya opened her eyes slightly and looked at Eragon who was still fast asleep on her shoulder. She was thought about what she had seen from Murtagh's memory and she, like him, was surprised at how the Dragons had reacted when Brom was mentioned. She had never read about Rënn or Roslarb in any of the scrolls from Vroëngard which had records of all the Dragons and their riders, all who perished in the hands of Galbatorix and the Forsworn. Their knowledge of Brom made her think they couldn't be wild Dragons. What did they mean when they said they couldn't speak with anyone of his race? Roslarb's voice echoed in her head, <em>They are coming for him. <em>She looked down at Eragon and unconsciously pulled him closer. She wasn't going to let him get hurt again. She felt a slight tug on her leggings and looked down to see her Dragon growling softly and biting the fabric. Suddenly a voice rang in her mind, it was deep and yet it carried an air of innocence about it.

_Arya _She blinked as she looked at the little Dragon who was now looking at her directly.

_Arya _She smiled realizing it was the Dragon speaking. She reached out with her free hand and tickled it under its chin causing it to squeak indignantly and draw back. She laughed quietly and it looked at her with an amused expression on its face. She tentatively spoke through their raw bond.

_You can speak! _It blinked as it watched her.

_Yes _

_Are you hungry? _She asked, wondering how much he could understand. It looked at her curiously and she could tell from the jumble of emotions from her Dragon, he could understand part of her sentence and it was taking him time to understand. She repeated her question and sent a mental image of some fruits. He growled softly and sent her an image of a carcass of a bird. She could tell he was quite proud of the results of his hunt earlier in the morning. She nodded.

_No _She thought for a while.

_You need a name, I already have a few, hope you will like it _It nodded feverishly and squeaked in excitement.

_Arya! _She laughed again.

_That's my name, you can't have that_ It looked at her curiously and nodded.

_How about Vanilor? _He went still for a moment before he shook his head.

_No_

_Galzra? _

_No_

_Briam?_

_No _On and on she went and he kept shaking his head. Finally she arrived at the name she thought up herself, a name she thought she would name her Dragon back when she was a child fantasizing about becoming a Dragon Rider. She was worried he wouldn't like it but shoving her doubts aside she ploughed on.

_Firnen? _He squeaked happily and flapped his wings.

_Yes! _She stroked his neck making him hum. After a while he gently crawled over to Eragon's leg and curled up on his lap.

_Eragon? _Firnen's asked timidly and she felt her heart throb painfully at his innocent voice. She hated having a young Dragon grow in the middle of the war. If she had her way, she would take him deep into the forests of Du Weldenvarden until he was big enough. No, if she had her way she would take him, Eragon and Saphira far away from the war where they can be at peace.

_Yes _She said.

_Eragon _he repeated. _Eragon hurt _It was a statement. He looked unblinkingly at her. She nodded. Firnen seemed to be deep in thought and he kept craning his neck to look at Eragon and Arya in turn. She noticed him shooting furtive glances at Saphira too who was asleep.

_We can help? _He asked slowly and Arya was surprised. It was the first time he asked a straightforward question.

_We can try _She smiled and he hummed before he settled his neck on Eragon's knee. Suddenly, she heard a moan of pain and she looked down shocked to find Eragon was starting to seize again. Firnen quickly jumped off as he started shaking violently. Blood oozed from his tunic again as Arya quickly tore off his tunic and placed her hands over the wound.

"_Waise heil" _The blood flow seemed to slow but she realized in horror the wound was not closing up at all. "_Waise heil" _She tried again but it stubbornly resisted all her attempts to close up. Saphira who was now awake growled as she felt her Rider's pain.

_Saphira! Get help, get Angela, anyone! _She cried and Saphira obediently flew off in the direction of the camp. She placed her hand tightly over the wound ignoring the blood flowing out from under her hands.

"Arya…" She recognized his voice and it terrified her to her core, he sounded faint, like it was taking enormous strain for him to speak. His eyes flickered open as she looked back at the gleaming violet eye gazing at her. He gripped the back of her neck and pulled her close, "Please, run" She didn't reply as she tried to stop the blood flow. He suddenly growled and spoke again, this time his voice was loud. "Get away from here" His face went pale and the little strength he had seemed to fade.

"Save your strength" She murmured. What was taking Saphira so long? She wouldn't refuse to let anyone ride on her back when her Rider was in trouble. She frowned as she looked around. The surroundings were deathly quiet and the evening sky was a dark stormy grey. How had the sky changed so soon? It was getting steadily darker and suddenly she felt apprehensive and with a growing sense of dread she pointed her finger at a branch lying a few feet away and said "_Brisingr_". Nothing happened. Firnen was growling now. She looked around and found the air was strangely distorted. She stood up and carefully dragged Eragon to his feet. He had his eyes closed again. She started taking her first few steps when suddenly Eragon gasped and tipped forward from under her arm. Before she could bend to get him though he suddenly looked straight at her. All trace of weakness was gone from his face as his eye shone brightly.

"They are coming for me" He whispered. She tried to pick him up again but froze when she found his hand on her cheek. She looked at him slowly as his face curved into a sad smile. "I'm sorry, I can't afford to lose you as well." He suddenly pushed her away and sent her sprawling a few feet away from him. "_Thrysta_" He shouted and she felt herself get pushed backwards by an invisible force. Firnen was sent sprawling backwards as well and suddenly she found the sky brightened and sounds of running water reached her ears. She heard a loud roar and looked up to find Saphira frustrated trying to get at Eragon. She looked ahead and there, standing with both his swords drawn was Eragon. She immediately got up and tried to run towards him but found herself stopped by an invisible wall. From the looks of it, even Saphira couldn't get through it from air.

She touched the invisible barrier and shouted "_Jierda_" but to her horror she found her spell was sucked into the barrier.

"Eragon!" She yelled pounding on the barrier as Saphira roared again, this time flames spewing from her mouth and she watched as the flames too got absorbed into the unseen barrier. Suddenly she saw Eragon drop to his knees and the swords in his hands fall to the floor. Three hooded figures materialized around him. She watched helplessly as Saphira landed on the ground next to her, snarling viciously. Eragon was completely defenseless as one of them stepped forward and pushed back his hood revealing a man with black hair and cold silver eyes. His ears were slanted like and elf's. He was tall and lean and he carried an air of gracefulness about him just like the elves, and yet there was something different about him, as if hidden beneath the surface, a volcano on the verge of erupting. As he spoke she heard his voice as clearly as though she was standing right next to him. His voice was low, much lower than anyone's she'd heard.

"Eragon Shadeslayer, son of Brom" the man stated looking at Eragon curiously. He drew out a black dagger and spoke a few words in an unknown language, making it glow iridescently. He placed it on Eragon's cheek who was still kneeling frozen on the spot and the moment the blade made contact with his skin he screamed in pain. Arya was frantic as she tried to get through the barrier to him but it stubbornly resisted all her attempts, absorbing any spells she threw at it. She exhausted almost all her energy and her legs gave way from under her. All she could do was watch helplessly as Eragon collapsed breathing in short gasps as the man withdrew his dagger with a satisfied expression.

"We were only getting started"

**AN: I apologize again for the late update guys; I wanted to put this up like 3 days ago. Had to catch up with a lot of work and some other stuff kinda demanded my attention lol.**

**I think I made Arya's Dragon a lot more adorable than I meant to xD But I'm glad I did seeing as so many of you liked it. I almost don't want him to grow up now :D**

**Guess almost everyone knows who the people were at the beginning of my last chapter. Wasn't too unexpected though :P**

**Murtagh will not be forgotten! I just didn't put him on his mother's mind at that moment cuz, well…Eragon was a wreck at that point. (So you can rest easy Restrained Freedom :P)**

**Hopefully now ExArya will prove to be a more suited match. Although I don't really want to make Eragon forget about Aeraela anytime soon *evil grin*. Hope I got Arya's feelings down properly in this chapter. **

**A big thank you to all who reviewed! Reading every one of them left me grinning like a 3 year old xD. Got like 13 reviews for the last one and that was honestly what made me stay up the whole night yesterday writing this. Keep them up and I promise the next chapter will be up very soon :) Hopefully the next chapter will be up before the 3****rd**** of May, gonna watch the Avengers premier (beyond excited for it) and I know I'm gonna be a wreck on the days to follow afterwards. Can't promise much cuz I don't know how much work I will get when I go back to classes tomorrow though.**

**Lastly I appreciate everyone who added this to their favs and alerts list.**

**Hope everyone sticks with the story till the end :D**

**Peace out **


	12. Chapter 11

**AN: Starts off in Eragon's PoV, a few moments before everything went down.**

**CHAPTER 11**

-A few moments ago-

_Eragon, my son _Eragon looked around feverishly. A voice had been calling out to him from the deepest reaches in his mind. The source, he needed to find whoever it was.

_Where are you! _He called loudly stumbling around in the darkness. He was apprehensive; he no longer had his swords with him. No, he had lost his will to fight. He wasn't suited for his blades anymore.

_Here…_The voice was fading away. He found a small white spot in front of him. He frantically broke into a run towards it. As he drew closer the white spot grew larger and larger until he passed right through it. He gasped, it was no longer dark. He was standing in the middle of a battleground. Corpses littered the ground. A few feet away there were numerous bodies of dragons, there scales no longer carried the sparkle about them. Fear gripped his heart as he walked on, past the bodies and into a ruined city. A quick memory surfaced in him and it was gone as quick as it came. A memory of a majestic city, the skies above it filled with Dragons as far as the eye could see. As he walked on his eyes caught sight of a woman lying on the ground in front of him. Her brown hair covering her face, the tips of her ears vividly visible at the top.

"Irelia" He murmured. He didn't know why, nor could he stop what he said and he had no knowledge of the elf lying dead in front of him. His heart grew painful as he drew closer to the elf, hoping against hope he wouldn't see her face. A memory flashed before his eyes as he remembered sitting on the ground watching the city and Dragons while a female voice sang beautifully next to him. He found himself unable to look at her face as he stood before her. Steeling himself he walked on, dreading what he could find. A movement caught his eye in front of him. A man was lying with his face buried on a yellow scaled Dragon in front of him. His red hair tied in a knot. Eragon felt like the man was strangely familiar. As he walked closer the man turned to look at him.

"YOU!" The man shouted, pointing at him. "HOW DARE YOU WALK BACK IN HERE? AFTER ALL YOU DID?" The man's brown eyes reflected his pain and sorrow. Eragon halted, gazing at the man and the yellow scaled Dragon.

"You're smiling" The man muttered. "You really are smiling aren't you?" Eragon didn't say anything as he looked on. The man drew his sword, a gleaming yellow sword. "Look at yourself" He growled, "Do you find it amusing to walk around with the blood of the innocent staining you?" Eragon slowly glanced down. His hand were dyed a deep red, his white tunic splatter with blood. He noticed then that he was holding a blue sword, it was coated in red and every few second's blood dripped off at its tip.

"Look at me" Eragon glanced at the man in front of him. "I will take everything from you." He whispered. Suddenly, everything was plunged into darkness.

* * *

><p><em>Eragon snap out of it <em>He felt a hand roughly shake his shoulder as his eyes focused on a familiar set of startlingly different eyes. _Get a grip! _He looked at himself forgetting for a second what was going on. No matter how many times he had spoken with Fuin it never took away the initial feeling of madness of looking at himself.

_What was it? What did I see? _Fuin shook his head.

_Now is not the time, there are far more pressing matters now. _Instantly Eragon's mind flooded with a sense of impending doom. As if the whole of Alagaesia was trembling. He was faintly aware of Arya, Saphira and the little Dragon beside him but the unsettling feeling was getting stronger. He could sense the trees about a league away drying up and the animals fleeing in fear.

_What is that? _He asked sitting up straighter and staring at Fuin.

_It's them. _Fear gripped him as he remembered seeing Aeraela's horrific apparition and a silver cloaked figure towering over him.

_We still have a chance _Fuin's eyes narrowed. _If I remember the memories there might be someone who will help us. _

_Who? _Fuin shook his head again and refused to elaborate.

_Trust me on this; we need to get Saphira, Arya and her Dragon away from here. They could use them against us. _Fuin paused, _I will take over for now, we need to separate them from us. But…_Eragon looked at him curiously. Fuin took a deep breath _After I cast the spell I will have exhausted all of my energy meaning I won't be able to help you through what comes next. _

_I will not give in _Eragon said as he straightened up. Fuin smiled wryly. Instantly a sharp pain tore through his chest and his eyes snapped open momentarily and he could see Arya gazing at him worriedly while she tried to heal him. He heard the beating of wings and he saw Saphira take to the skies momentarily before his eyes closed again.

"Arya…" He hated his voice, it was so weak and barely above a whisper. He gazed at her, "Please, run" He felt her hand tighten on his chest. Unable to stop the growl that escaped him he willed himself to speak, "Get away from here."

"Save your strength" She said softly as his eyes slowly shut again. He could feel his energy leaving him, transferring it to an incantation he was forming in his mind. The words were not of the Ancient Language and it felt strange, as if he knew the words and yet at the same time he didn't. The pain in his chest was growing, almost blinding him. The words formed in his mind.

_Soran aman azgala_

The effect was instantaneous, his energy dropped at an alarming rate but he felt something emit from him, expanding outward.

_I leave the rest to you_ He heard Fuin's voice and he felt some energy return to his body, strengthening him. He faintly heard Arya mutter something and pick him up and drape his hand around her shoulder. He tipped forward, away from her.

"They are coming for me" He whispered. She reached down to pick him up again but he cupped her cheek effectively stopping her. He gazed at her emerald eyes and for a second he thought he saw Aeraela standing behind her looking at him with a gentle expression on her face. "I'm sorry, I can't afford to lose you too" He pushed her away with a sudden burst of strength sending her sprawling a few feet away from him. "_Thrysta!" _He shouted sending Arya and her Dragon further away from him and with a sense of finality he stopped the rapid stream of energy that was still ebbing away. Instantly everything darkened and Arya and her Dragon disappeared from view. He searched for the connection linking him to Saphira which was fading away.

_Don't come in after me, stay safe. _Ignoring the pain that enveloped his heart he bent down and picked up Brisingr and Fuin. _I love you _He severed the weakening connection and straightened up looking around. The air was strangely distorted around him. Suddenly a foreign presence entered his mind, brushing aside his defenses as if there were none.

_You thought something like that could keep us away? _The voice growled and immediately he felt the all too familiar sensation of something drilling into his head. A sharp cry of pain escaped his lips as he felt his legs give way and the remainder of his strength fade away. The swords fell from his hands. He looked up to see three figures materialize in front of him. One of them stepped forward pushing back its hood. He glanced up at the man, taking note of his cold silver eyes and dark hair. When he spoke his voice was low and was strangely curious.

"Eragon Shadeslayer, son of Brom" The man drew a black dagger and uttered a few incomprehensible words, the words sounded familiar yet the pain prevented him from thinking properly and concentrating on what was going on. He gasped as he felt the cold blade touch his face and instantly it felt like a thousand daggers were being jammed one after the other at the point the blade touched him. He screamed in pain as the sensation went on, it was taking all his energy to stop himself from biting his tongue. After what felt like an eternity he felt the blade draw away from him and immediately the pain vanished leaving him gasping for breath.

"We were only getting started" The man smirked. He crouched down in front of Eragon and grabbed his face with his hand roughly and forced him to look directly at him. "Poor little remnant. You have no idea what is going on do you?" He suddenly stabbed his leg and Eragon clamped his mouth shut to stop himself from screaming. He wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. "You have some heart. I like that" He viscously kicked him causing Eragon to cough up blood as he doubled over in pain. The man crouched down again and this time placed his hand directly over his chest. The wound on his chest stretched out, cleaving into his skin as it covered his entire body. Eragon felt his mind wiped blank as he lost all conscious thought. All he could feel was pain, blind and agonizing pain. He didn't need to try to stop himself from crying out anymore. He was too weak to even get his vocal chords working again. He looked up at his tormentor unflinchingly as the pain spread further across his body.

"Those eyes" He said suddenly, his voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't want to see those eyes" He grabbed hold of Eragon's arm and easily bent it the other way, snapping the bones. Yet Eragon blankly looked back at the man. The man was getting agitated, suddenly he laughed. The laugh was cold, emotionless. "Perhaps this?" He stepped aside revealing someone standing behind him. Eragon's heart stopped momentarily as he took in the familiar silver haired elf standing before him.

* * *

><p>Arya was beside herself, she couldn't do anything to get to Eragon. Saphira was whimpering softly as she too had exhausted almost all her energy. She watched as a look of pure horror took over his face as he gazed at the empty space beside the man tormenting him. She couldn't take much more of watching Eragon suffering like this and yet she could do nothing to get beyond the barrier. All she could do was watch and hope for a miracle. Firnen was growling as it tried to claw its way through the barrier but from the anger and hopelessness that poured in through their link she knew he was as frustrated as her.<p>

* * *

><p>"No" He whispered. His voice seemed to delight the man as he dragged Aeraela towards him. Her expression was blank yet her eyes betrayed the mixture of fear and love as she gazed at Eragon. The man slowly pushed his dagger in at her midsection as she screamed. Eragon tried to get up but he found himself unable to move. The man smiled as he continued to drag the dagger up her skin towards her arm, blood rushing out from the huge cut that was growing larger.<p>

"Please stop this" Eragon whispered as he stared transfixed at Aeraela who had passed out from the pain. The man grinned as he removed the dagger and dropped it with Aeraela hanging limply in his arms.

"There is nothing to stop. Do you not see?" He dropped her at his feet. "She is dead"

Eragon didn't speak as he gazed at the body lying on the ground. He couldn't take it any longer, all he wanted was release. As if the man had read his thoughts he bent down.

"Release, I can grant you release from the pain Shadeslayer. All you need do is accept me and do what I tell you. We can make this world into something better." The man's voice dropped into a whisper. "I can bring her back if that is what you wish" A small glimmer of hope rose in him but at the same time he quelled the hope with a quick burst of memory from when he saw her that moment everything went white and all at once he was standing in the middle of nowhere.

* * *

><p>All traces of pain were gone as he looked around. He felt something press against him and he felt something smooth and silky tickle the back of his neck, he felt a smooth pair of hands slide into his, gripping them tightly. A calming sensation passed over him as he stood there, leaning his head back.<p>

"Eragon" Her voice was as beautiful as he remembered. In response he tightened his grip. "Don't stop fighting. We will see each other again, I promise" He turned sharply but at that moment the blinding pain filled him again.

* * *

><p>Eragon's eyes focused on the man's face. He was no longer smiling.<p>

"What did you do?" The man asked. Eragon was pleased when he heard the note of uncertainty creep into his voice. The man drove the dagger into Eragon's arm. He remained silent as he glanced up at the man. The other two figures were standing at the back but as his eyes fell on the one standing on the left he could have sworn that it shook its head a tiny fraction. Clearly the man was getting agitated by the lack of answers from Eragon. As he drew back his dagger a sudden shattering sound broke the silence. The darkness slowly cleared and there on the ground was Arya and her Dragon with Saphira. Panic gripped Eragon as he realized the barrier he had erected had shattered. Saphira roared and pounced at the man who lazily flicked his hand blasting her backwards making her roar in pain as the unmistakable sound of bones cracking reached his ears and he knew she was hurt badly. Arya shakily tried to stand but lost balance and her Dragon stood in front of her baring its teeth as the man slowly made his way to her smiling.

"So this was why our Rider refused to say anything or kept up the stream of energy for his shield. I must say, I was curious as to why he would try to confine himself with us" His eyes narrowed. "You are a problem" He plunged his dagger without warning into her arm and she moaned in pain. At that moment something in Eragon snapped, he picked up the sword closest to him with his good arm and felt his breath catch up as he suddenly found himself standing in between the man and Arya with no idea how he moved so fast. The man looked at him curiously and smiled.

"You're full of surprises aren't you?" He suddenly grabbed Eragon's neck and turned him around to face Arya while he held him in a chokehold. "That elf, she is what drives you now right? She gives you you're will to fight" His voice dropped lower, "I wonder how you will feel if you watch her die in front of you too, like that last one?" Eragon could feel himself weakening and he could see Arya looking up at him while she was defenseless on the ground.

"I will not let her die" He whispered, then in a flash he drove his sword through his chest while the man cried out in surprise. Ignoring the pain he gritted his teeth and pushed the sword further through him until he heard the man groan in pain meaning he had hit his mark. He felt the man push him away and he fell forward without any strength left to pull out his sword. His vision was fading, yet he could feel no pain.

"ERAGON!" Arya's eyes were livid as she dragged herself towards him. His eyes flickered open to find her staring at him, tears falling from her eyelashes on his face.

"Curse you Eragon Shadeslayer! That is as far as I will tolerate you" The man stumbled forward as Arya tightly covered Eragon with her arms. "If you think something like this could kill me, you're wrong"

"No, we only need a little bit more than that right?" A new voice answered. Several things happened at once. Eragon could barely see the figure that was striding towards them. It was wearing a black cloak with its face hidden from view. Seconds later, his tormentor dropped to the ground, dead. One of the cloaked figures rushed at the new man but the one standing next to him easily decapitated him. The black cloaked figure crouched down over Eragon and he could see a green and grey eye gazing at him. "Eragon, trust us" The voice was unnervingly similar to Oromis's. He tried to speak but broke into a fit of coughs. The other figure came closer.

"We have to go, now. They know we're here" The voice was lilting and carried a musical quality to it and Eragon instantly recognized it was female. Eragon felt the figure try to pick him up but Arya held him tighter.

"No" She murmured. The little Dragon hopped up on Eragon's body and snarled. The black cloaked figure shook his head.

"We need to take him away for now elf, no harm will come to him" His voice softened, "I'm sorry…_Slytha_" He whispered and Eragon felt Arya's grip on him loosen. At the same time the little Dragon fell off Eragon's body, both Arya and her Dragon unconscious. Eragon felt himself get picked up onto a strong pair of arms.

_Eragon! Wake up _A loud roar broke the air and Eragon barely opened his eye to see Saphira trying to get to him. Her front leg twisted the wrong way. He tried to wriggle out of the strangers arms but a wave of nausea overcame him and he felt everything darkening around him. The stranger holding him said a few incomprehensible words and a bright light erupted in front of them. As the two figures stepped into it with Eragon and the last thing he remembered before he fainted was uttering a single word for Saphira.

_Sorry_

Then, the light vanished taking Eragon and the strangers with it. Saphira whimpered softly before she too, gave in to the fatigue and slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p><em>Murtagh! I found them, they're at the graves <em>Relief flooded into him when he heard Thorn's words.

_Are they all right? _Thorn didn't reply for a few moments and a new feeling of dread enveloped him as he ran as fast as he could in the direction of the river.

_Saphira is hurt badly, Arya and her Dragon are unconscious and….there is no trace of Eragon _Murtagh didn't answer as he sped up into the clearing. Saphira looked up when he came closer as Thorn landed next to her. Saphira's leg was bent the wrong way and just looking at it sent chills down his spine. He crouched next to her and immediately healed the leg, re growing the bone. Saphira remained silent throughout and Murtagh didn't dare ask anything. Her mind was completely sealed off to him but he could feel the sadness emanating from her. After he was done she forlornly laid her long neck on the ground. He turned to Arya and the little Dragon, the Dragon was already stirring and he shook Arya awake. She slowly opened her eyes and suddenly sat up looking around wildly. She groaned softly and clutched her shoulder, Murtagh quickly placed his arm on her shoulder and healed her ignoring the look she gave him.

"Where's Eragon?" He asked tentatively when he was done. Arya closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again he was startled to see they were filled with tears.

"Gone…" She whispered.

"What do you mean gone? He's not…?" He trailed off weakly.

"They took him" Murtagh was getting frustrated now.

"Who took him Arya? What happened? It was like this whole area was sealed off, we've never seen anything like it. None could approach this place and the rest of the Varden are searching for you elsewhere." She refused to answer and stared blankly into space. She suddenly put her hand on his head and nudged at his consciousness. After a brief moment's hesitation he let her and immediately he saw Eragon getting hurt again and again by a man who was smiling cruelly while two other figures looked on. He got uncomfortable as he felt Arya's despair and anguish watching the proceedings which she made no effort to hide. He watched as Eragon impaled himself, stabbing the man holding him and a figure clad in black intervene. He watched as they bent down towards him and say he will be safe and at that moment the memory faded away. He looked at Arya who had her lips pressed tightly together struggling to hold back tears. He tried scrying Eragon but was met with a black image. He hesitantly looked at Saphira.

_No, I can't feel him _She answered the unasked question. Murtagh sighed as Thorn padded closer to him.

"We need to get back to the camp, can you stand?" He asked Arya quietly. She nodded and hugged her Dragon to her chest and shakily got up, and together they made their way back to the Varden.

* * *

><p>"Eragon's gone?" Nasuada asked weakly. They were in her tent surrounded by the elves, King Orik and King Orrin. Roran was growled angrily and slammed his fist on the table and sat down covering his face with his hands while Orik gripped his shoulder. Blodhgarm and Calanon and a few of the elves were standing beside Arya who hadn't said a single word as Murtagh shared the memory with everyone.<p>

"Can't you scry him?" Nasuada asked looking from Murtagh to the elves.

"No, we already tried multiple times, something is blocking us from scrying him" Blodhgarm answered.

"So what now?" Roran asked throwing up his hands, "We trust in the words of those people and hope that Eragon comes back to us?" Silence met his question.

"No, we have to continue on" Nasuada said allowing an edge to creep into her voice. "We can't waste time searching for Eragon when no one knows who took him or where they took him to"

"A waste of time?" Arya whispered as her Dragon growled.

"How would you even begin to search for him? Who knows where in Alagaesia he is now" Nasuada said sadly.

"Lady Nasuada is right Drottningu" Blodhgarm said quietly. "The Queen had been informed, and she wants you back in Ellesmera immediately, until your Dragon is fit for battle" Arya looked like she was going to argue but instead she turned around and walked out. The others stared after her until Nasuada cleared her throat.

"Saphira, has she responded at all?" She asked.

"No, she refuses to let anyone in" Murtagh said. Nasuada sighed and buried her face in her hands.

"We can't let this get us down now, I will inform the Varden later of what had transpired. Stronghammer, you and Murtagh Shadeslayer will continue as planned towards Aroughs." Roran silently nodded.

"If I leave too that will leave the Varden unprotected" Murtagh said as the elves silently filed out.

"We will still have Saphira" Orrin answered. Murtagh shook his head.

"Saphira, she will not fight without her Rider" At his words Orrin looked outraged.

"If I remember correctly Shadeslayer swore fealty to the Varden" Murtagh snorted. He didn't like King Orrin too much.

"Saphira holds no obligations. And she is my brother's Dragon, she is not a tool of war for you or the Varden, I hope you understand that" Murtagh directed his last lines at Nasuada who was watching him intently.

"Murtagh and Thorn can stay back, my men and I will take over Aroughs" Roran said, standing up.

"Aye, I will accompany Stronghammer to Aroughs" Orik said gruffly. Orrin sighed in defeat and walked out, after a few moments Orik and Roran followed leaving Murtagh and Nasuada inside.

"Do you really have no idea about Eragon's captors?" Nasuada asked after a brief moment of silence. Murtagh sighed as he sat in front of her.

"None" He noticed her hands were trembling and after hesitating for a moment he gently slipped his hand into hers. She didn't pull away and smiled faintly at him.

"I'm afraid Murtagh, everything is crumbling from all sides" She said softly.

"It will be alright, I promise" Murtagh said. She nodded and slowly pulled her hand away from him. Recognizing the dismissal Murtagh stood up and walked out.

_Thorn?_

_Where are we going? _Thorn asked and he looked up to see the red speck in the sky.

_It's about time we got some answers out from Rënn and Roslarb_

* * *

><p>Arya walked slowly up to Eragon's tent with Firnen following at her heels. Saphira was already lying outside at her usual place where she and Eragon slept at night and she looked intently at her when she approached. Arya gently prodded Saphira's consciousness and after a few moments she was given entrance. Instantly she felt Saphira's sorrow and a feeling of emptiness wash over her.<p>

_Saphira will you accompany me and Firnen to Ellesmera? _

_What of Eragon? _Saphira hissed. Arya hesitated and showed her the memory of what transpired in the tent.

_I do not like it as much as you do, but there could be something we could find in Ellesmera. _

_And what is that? _Saphira growled.

_Answers _She replied simply. Saphira fell silent and after a moment she felt her acknowledgement. She nodded and stepped inside the tent and searched for Glaedr's Eldunari. She hesitated and packed it inside one of the bags, she didn't want to discuss what had happened just then. Especially when her emotions were in turmoil. It was like when she had seen Faolin struck down. But the feeling was much worse watching Eragon topple to the ground with the sword through his chest and much, much worse watching him get taken away from her. She hesitated before she grabbed the book lying on the table and stuffed it inside the bag too. She strapped the bag on her back and picked up Firnen who squeaked softly.

_We leave now? _Saphira asked as she stretched her wings.

_Yes _Saphira looked expectantly at her and Arya hesitantly walked over to Saphira. She gently nuzzled Arya's neck.

_You are the only one apart from Eragon I will allow to ride on my back little one _Saphira said gently. And through the sadness she could detect a note of fondness seeping in through Saphira. She mounted Saphira who spread out her wings and took to the skies. She searched for Blodhgarm's consciousness and prodded it who after a moment let her in.

_I am returning to Ellesmera with Saphira _

_Yes, Drottningu _Arya hesitated.

_Any news of Eragon while I'm gone…_Blodhgarm interrupted her in the middle of her sentence.

_We will inform you if the Shadeslayer returns _She pulled out of his mind and watched the camp disappear from view as Saphira sped up. Firnen was already asleep in her arms and she gently covered him. Her thoughts drifted once again to Eragon. She didn't know what she would do if they didn't find him. She felt her heart tighten as she remembered Eragon's hand on her cheek and his eyes as he apologized to her before pushing her away from harm. Tears threatened to fall but she fought them back. She needed him, without her realizing it, Eragon had become as much of a part of her as Firnen had. She would stop at nothing to get him back.

**AN: Haah…I guess another apology is in order. Got caught up with more work which limited the time I could spend on this chapter (Dam teachers, seriously) so I couldn't update before the 3****rd****. Watched Avengers (Every bit as awesome as I hoped for lol), took two days to recover on account to the lack of sleep, extreme hangov….err headaches and the huge amount of work I neglected :P**

**So…I iz very sorry for the late update. **

**I can't promise when the next chapter will be up. I will try my best to get it up within this week. As always, you guys do know the best way to persuade me to write right? right? (The little magic button on the bottom xD)**

**On that note, a very big thank you to all who reviewed. I guess I don't need to mention anymore how much I enjoy reading them :). The support I get from you guys are truly inspirational so don't ever hesitate to review, I don't mind even if it is just 2 words lol. Watch out for more cliffhangers in the future :P **

**Thank you for reading!**

**Peace out *bumps fist on chest twice***


	13. Author's note

**AN: Alright guys I have an overwhelming amount of messages asking me when the next chapter will be up and asking if I have abandoned it. I can't actually reply to all of you guys so I figured this will be the easiest way :)**

**In answer to those previous questions, NO! I AM NOT ABANDONING THIS IN ANY WAY. **

**I just got caught up in a lot of exams and personal stuff. Hell…I have three more exams scheduled for this week :( Hopefully at the end of this week I will have time to write up the next chapter. **

**Again I'm sorry for making you guys wait...Just be patient for a little longer :D**


	14. Chapter 14

** CHAPTER 12**

Murtagh opened his saddle-bag inside his tent and pulled out the gleaming yellow and white Eldunari and set them carefully in the table in front of the table. He reached out and touched Rënn's consciousness lightly informing her of his presence and waited for her to respond.

_Murtagh! _Her voice echoed lightly in his head. He didn't immediately respond, trying to figure out how best to voice his questions. She immediately sensed his distress and gently prodded his mind. _What's wrong? _

_Eragon was taken _He felt her surprise which immediately turned to uneasiness, suddenly Roslarb's voice thundered in his head.

_What do you mean he was taken! _Murtagh winced inwardly at the anger behind Roslarb's voice. He felt Thorn shift outside his tent and growl softly.

_I do not know how, I only have a memory from Arya, it would be better to show you? _He asked. Both Dragons sent him their approval and shared all he had seen. As soon as they saw the silver eyed figure Roslarb roared angrily surprising Murtagh and Thorn. Terminating the connection Murtagh was sealed off from both Dragon's minds.

_What happened to Shadelsayer afterwards? _Roslarb growled. Murtagh was slightly annoyed at being interrupted while sharing his memory and bit back a rebuke as he explained what had happened. _Who took him? _Roslarb asked softly and Murtagh sent him a mental picture of the figure he had seen at the end of the memory. He felt an immediate sense of relief flood through Roslarb and his hand slipped out from under him in surprise.

_What are you not telling me? _Murtagh asked. When neither of the Dragons responded he growled angrily, _I'm tired of this_

_No Murtagh wait, we will explain everything that we know from the beginning _Rënn said softly. Murtagh waited silently, waiting for one of them to speak. _Murtagh, have you heard about the Vault of Souls? _

_The Vault of Souls? I remember there was a time when Galbatorix and Aldor were trying their hardest to find its location. They never succeeded. _

_Yes, they never succeeded. That's because it can only be opened by those who it has chosen. Once those people have been chosen, it will remain sealed until the chosen find it, or pass away. _Murtagh scratched his chin thoughtfully, that made sense why neither Galbatorix nor Aldor ever found it, at the rate they combed the far corners of Alagaësia he knew there were no stones left unturned. _The chosen two share the same mother, yet they share different fathers. Two tyrants in their own way. _She fell silent seeing the comprehension dawning on Murtagh.

_That's impossible…You mean me and Eragon? _He felt Roslarb and Rënn's approval at his words while Thorn snorted in surprise outside

_Indeed hatchling _came Roslarb's deep voice.

_But…what does this have to do with anything? _Murtagh asked, he was completely thrown off by this new piece of information. _Wait, you said different fathers and you mentioned…both tyrants? Morzan was my father but I know Eragon's father was Brom, one of the heroes of the Varden. _

_Yes Murtagh, what you need to know is that things are not always what they seem. _Roslarb said sadly.

_What do you mean? _

_We can't answer everything Murtagh, but if I am right, everything will be made clear when Eragon returns. _

_How can you be sure? _Murtagh asked curiously.

Roslarb grunted but refused to respond.

_Murtagh there are some things you need to know first, we took oaths that date far behind the times when the order of the Dragon Riders was formed in Vroëngard. _Murtagh's eyes widened in surprise at this statement. He sent a mental nod and waited for either of the Dragons to elaborate. When none did he asked the new question that formed in his mind.

_How far behind? _It was after a long pause that Rënn responded.

_The time when Alagaësia was home to the Grey Folk and the Forgotten. _

_What! _Murtagh blurted out. _The records do not show that Dragons existed before the Elves._ At this Roslarb rumbled in amusement.

_The records that come from the Elven scholars contain only a minuscule part of what happened in Alagaësia at that time. After all, they only had access to the remains _Roslarb's tone turned bitter at the end.

_Who are the Forgotten? _Murtagh asked after a few moments had passed.

_They were a race that existed in harmony with the Grey Folk. But after the events that followed their name was erased from existence by the Ancient Language. Eragon…_Rënn paused; _Eragon Shadelsayer is the sole survivor of what was once a powerful and respectable race. And you who is the last remaining link to the Grey Folk._

* * *

><p>Arya was lying against Saphira with Firnen asleep on her lap as she gazed up at the night sky where a red star glinted mockingly at her. They were halfway to Ellesmera and within the next day they would be in the elven city. She couldn't keep her mind at rest knowing that Eragon was out of her reach.<p>

_Can't get any peace of mind little one? _Saphira asked her gently. Arya turned to stare at Saphira who was watching her through a large sapphire eye. She slowly nodded before turning back to the sky.

_He…He's alright right Saphira? _She asked. It was a childish question but she had to make sure.

_Yes, I'm sure that he's not in any danger…for now _Saphira hummed mournfully at the last part. Arya's heart sank when she realized she wouldn't be able to help Eragon if he was in any danger. Inwardly she cursed herself for being helpless and she remembered the feel of Eragon's hand on her cheek and she felt warm when she remembered the sensation. She cursed herself for not realizing her feelings sooner and continually pushing Eragon away. How different would it have been had she just accepted him? Saphira hummed softly.

_Little one, why did you keep pushing him away? _Saphira asked after a few moments. Arya was startled and she realized she had unknowingly remained inside Saphira's consciousness. She thought for a moment before she replied.

_I don't know _She said truthfully, _I kept making reasons for myself, telling myself that there were so many reasons why I can never be with him. Only now I realize they don't matter. _She said bitterly, tears forming in her eyes. _Only when he's gone I realize what I wanted. _

Saphira hummed contently, _See that you don't forget what you said. He needs you now, more than ever. _Arya nodded.

_I will not make the same mistakes _She closed her eyes and to the land of waking dreams.

* * *

><p>Eragon was dimly aware of the sound of flowing water when he opened his eyes. His eyes immediately slid out of focus due to the light that streamed into the room and he shut his eyes before slowly opening them slowly, allowing them time to get adjusted to the light. He looked around to find he was inside a dark room with a glass of water beside him. The only source of light was from an open window from a bright lamp the glowed on the ceiling. He immediately tried to contact Saphira but he found he couldn't. It was almost as if their connection was cut. He panicked and looked around trying to find his swords. He then realized he was wearing a plain white tunic. He pushed himself up and away from the bed and immediately felt his head spin and he fell on the floor.<p>

_Eragon! We haven't fully recovered yet. _He heard Fuin's voice sound at the back of his head.

_What happened? _He asked as he pushed himself up and onto his feet. Fuin snorted.

_How should I know? We're the same remember? _Gritting his teeth he walked to the door and pushed it open. He gasped as he stared at what he saw. He was standing before a vast landscape that stretched on endlessly as far as the eye could see. At the side he saw a huge lake that was shimmering slightly under the night sky. It was the sky however that caught his attention the most. There were two moons hanging in the sky, one a blood red while the other was pure white.

_Where in the world are we? _Fuin exclaimed. Yet, Eragon felt like this place was familiar. As if it was a place where he had grown up his whole life.

"I see you have awakened" He heard a voice behind him and immediately he turned around and crouched low backing away. His eyes fell a set of differently colored eyes, one a gleaming green while the other was a steely grey. The man had dark black hair and his ears were elongated just like an elf's and he had a small smile on his face.

"Who are you?" Eragon snarled, backing away.

"Easy, we aren't going to hurt you. And by the way, if you keep moving around like that you're going to reopen that wound there" He said in a kind voice that sounded so much like Oromis. Eragon couldn't explain it but he felt like he could trust him. After glaring at him he straightened up and noticed that his tunic was soaked in red.

"Not again, now I have to change it again" A melodious voice trilled and a woman sidled up from behind them. She was breathtakingly beautiful with dark brown hair. Her eyes were a shocking pink and she had walked with a grace that only a few elves could match. Her ears were slightly pointed but not as much as Eragon's or the man's. "You were squirming so much that I kept having to change the dressing again and again" Then she grinned lustfully at him, her eyes bright. "Not that I'm complaining though…" She purred making Eragon nervously look away.

"Enough Sona. Get him inside." The man said sternly before turning back to Eragon. "I know you have a lot of questions and I promise they will all be answered. Please follow me" He beckoned Eragon back into the room and made him lie on the bed. The woman gently took off the bandages that were soaked in blood and took out a new set and carefully wrapped it around the large wound on his chest. She lingered a lot longer than necessary while changing it but after she was done she smiled at him and nodded.

"Thank you" Eragon said.

"Follow me then Eragon" The man said and he led Eragon through another door that Eragon hadn't noticed earlier and into a large room with a table and chairs around it. The room reminded of his house back in Carvahall and he felt at ease when he sat down. The woman sat down next to him while the man sat opposite him.

"I have plenty of names but I am mostly referred to as Markus. That is Sona, my apprentice" He said indicating the woman. "Now Eragon, what do you remember?" Eragon strained trying to remember what had happened before he passed out. Everything was a messy blur but slowly he remembered flashes of what happened. Suddenly he got an image of a raven haired elf lying on the ground.

"Arya!" He yelled. "What happened to her? Her and Saphira…what happened to them?" He asked looking at the man.

"It's alright, she's fine. So is Saphira." He said soothingly.

"Where are they? Where am I?" He asked after a few moments.

"They are with the Varden Eragon, rest assured neither them nor the Varden will come to harm anytime soon. In answer to your second question, we are in one of the forgotten lands. Its name was erased by the Ancient language."

Eragon looked up startled. "We aren't in Alagaësia?" The man nodded and Eragon closed his eyes trying to process what he had just heard. "What is this? Why am I here…who were those people? Why were they trying to kill me?"

"Ah…no Eragon, they were not trying to kill you. They need you…they were merely trying to…break you if you will" Eragon suddenly got an image of Aeraela getting stabbed by the silver eyed figure. He gasped and was unable to stop the flow of images that came onto his mind of the elf. "Eragon, I know it's hard but you need to pull yourself together. There are people waiting for you to come back, you have to keep fighting" Markus said while Sona placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Now, if you would reveal you're other self to us, we could start at the beginning" Eragon's eyes widened when he realized they were talking about the Fuin.

_It's alright Eragon, I feel like I know them. We should trust them _Fuin's voice sounded in his head. Mentally nodding Eragon drew back into the darkness and allowed Fuin to gain control. Outside, his eyes changed colors into a mirror image so that his left eye became violet while the right took on the light brown.

Fuin gazed fixedly at Markus who nodded his head. He nodded his head silently and suddenly Eragon was back in control. _Listen closely to what he has to say._ Fuin said to him before fading away.

Markus sighed and it after a few moments he straightened up in his chair.

"I guess I will start from the beginning then?" Eragon nodded and he noticed that Sona slid a little downwards on her seat with a bored look. "The elven scholars were only able to recount the events that happened in Alagaësia from the remains they found when they first arrived there. The dragons, humans, elves and the dwarves were not the only races of Alagaësia in addition to the Grey Folk who had perished a long time ago. They say that the bond formed between dragons and another race was first formed when the Bid'daum hatched for Eragon the first. They are wrong. The dragons had formed a bond with two of the earliest races to ever inhabit Alagaësia. They were far better versed in magic than the elves could ever hope to achieve and they were far more advanced than any of the races in Alagaësia today. One of them were of course, the Grey Folk, the other is a race that, like the name of this land, was erased from existence. We are right now in their homeland. I am sure you feel this place is familiar?" Eragon nodded slowly dimly aware of where this is going. "That is because you have the memories of your ancestors locked deep within you. We are the last of that race, the Forgotten"

"You and Sona?" Eragon blurted out. Markus smiled.

"Me and Sona, and of course, you Eragon" Eragon felt his breath tighten as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. He had a multitude of questions that were forming in his mind but Markus held up his hand. "I know you have plenty of questions Eragon, I only ask that you listen to everything I say now. You may ask whatever it is that you want afterwards" Eragon nodded slowly and laid back against his seat waiting for him to continue.

"We lived in harmony with the Grey Folk for hundreds of centuries. When the dragons were made aware of our existence, instead of war we came to a compromise. Both races bonded with the dragons much like how the humans and elves today have and we had our own generation of Dragon Riders. The Grey folk had a strong affinity to magic and they devised the Ancient language which helped to preserve the balance of the magical energy in Alagaësia. The Ancient language limited and controlled it. We are a warrior race. Much like the urgals, we thrive in battle. The main characteristic of our race was that we had two sides to us. A side which awakens when there battles to be fought. Your other self, Fuin, carries you into battle and strengthens your resolve even though you may not know it. The bonding with the dragons increased our dormant sides and granted us near immortality while the same held true for the Grey folk except that they were granted access to larger stores of energy along with near immortality. We were able to fight off occasional invaders from lands in the far West and East and we prospered while living in harmony with the other races" His eyes clouded at this point and he paused for a few moments.

"Then, the humans came. The humans arrived a few centuries before the elves did and they started a war with us. They slaughtered us for no reason, we never provoked them. We joined hands with the Grey folk and drove them away however a few remained. However, our leader, fell in love with one of the humans. He protected her and kept her hidden as one of us. The woman's name was…Selena" Markus looked up at Eragon to find him looking back at him with a shocked expression on his face. "Our leader, was Brom…your father"

Eragon's head was reeling but he held back the questions that formed in his mind and waited for him to continue.

"You might be wondering how a human could have survived for centuries until now? Selena herself bonded with a dragon. Her dragon's name too was erased from existence but her dragon died protecting her. Brom's dragon Saphira was honorable to the end and for that she was spared." Markus fell silent again as he waited for Eragon to come to terms with what he had said. Then after a few moments he continued. "Then it all went wrong, one of the Grey folk found out about Selena and he flew into a rage. The Grey folk were not known for forgiveness and they immediately labeled us as traitors for harboring a fugitive. For the first time, we engaged in battle against one another. While the Grey folk had control of magic, we were unmatched in combat resulting in the numbers of the Grey folk falling rapidly. Brom tried to stop the meaningless fighting but it was all in vain, each side was driven by anger at each other. We fought to protect one of ours while they fought to avenge the deaths of their fathers who died in the war against the humans. Selena's dragon was struck down during battle and Brom, in an attempt to save her life used his magic to open a portal to the land where the humans came from and sent her back. The dragons never picked a side, save for the ones bonded to their Riders. We fought each other to extinction, the war lasted for years. Every day was one bloody battle after another. Soon, there were only about hundred of us remaining while the Grey folk had around the same number as us. They realized the carnage they had wrecked upon themselves and put down their weapons. The Grey folk leader, Morzan…" Markus looked questioningly at Eragon who opened his mouth but fell silent. "Morzan erased our names from existence but out of his respect for Brom and due to the fact that both sides were at fault, condemned himself along with Brom to eternal suffering. Our numbers dwindled down afterwards and soon the elves arrived, followed by the humans and then the dwarves. We watched by the sides as they engaged in mindless conflicts one after the other. We never dared to interfere and hid ourselves away from the rest. After centuries we found that the dragons had bonded with the humans and the elves and were once again living in peace with the new Order that was established. However, here again, another tragedy came to pass. A young elf and his dragon chanced upon a group of grey folk mindlessly slaughtered them. Morzan's rage was unquenchable and he launched an attack on the elves. Brom had made friends with an elf with whom he grew very close and confided our secrets with them. Morzan's mind was corrupted for the group of Grey folk that were slaughtered contained his bonded partner. He infiltrated the Order of the Dragon Riders with one of his loyal disciples seeking revenge and soon corrupted the minds of some of the Riders. One of who is Galbatorix. Brom, unaware of any of this came across Selena by chance and the two were reunited. Selena cared for Morzan at the time. She never knew it was him who was trying to kill her during the war. She never knew he was one of the Grey folk and Morzan never recognized Selena for who she was. They had given birth to your brother, Murtagh and after Selena was reunited with Brom she soon gave birth to you and after learning of everything that Morzan had done, she ran away with him. She left you under the care of your some people she knew, the Garrows. They were delighted to raise you as their nephew, but soon after, she was claimed by an unknown illness. Those of us that remained joined Brom who decided that Morzan's actions had gone far enough. We didn't want to see the same mistakes that we did happen to the new races of Alagaësia. We founded the Varden along with Brom and we fought against Morzan's group. After Brom's dragon was struck down, he managed to kill Morzan and Morzan's disciple's dragon and we dropped the remaining Grey folk's numbers a lot. After that he fled along with us, it was only me; Brom and Sona that remained, most of us were inflicted with an illness that claimed almost all of us until we were the only ones remaining. The rest of the Grey folk were lost in the battles or scattered throughout the Alagaësia, it is those remnants and Morzan's disciple that are now trying to tear Alagaësia apart again."

"What do they need me for?" Eragon asked quietly.

"Our race is known for being emotionally unbalanced. If our emotions tip to a side, particularly to the side of us that thrives on war, we can never climb out of it. We will become a machine for war, without feeling. If they gained control of you there will be nothing that can stand in your way…You have already started on that path Eragon." Markus said ignoring the shocked look on Eragon's face. "That side of you awakens with the negative emotions that you face. You recently lost someone dear to you and that tore you apart, you are only hanging on due to your dragon. But that is not enough since your dragon will also descend to the madness that is slowly consuming you. For Brom, when he lost Selena and his dragon he descended into that state, that was what allowed him to singlehandedly kill Morzan and his dragon along with Morzan's disciple's dragon and severely wounding him. What brought him back from this madness was you, his wish to see his son brought him back. You also need to find something to fight for, if not…there is no stopping it and sooner or later you will succumb to it"

"How much longer do I have?" Eragon whispered.

Markus sighed, "It depends…"

_Eragon, ask him about the Vault of Souls_ Fuin's voice suddenly filled his ears. Eragon was taken aback at this but he voiced the question. Markus's eyes suddenly widened and exchanged a meaningful look with Sona.

"Of course! Brom that old bastard" Markus suddenly laughed. Shaking his head at Eragon's questioning look he continued, "We can find it Eragon, there is still some hope left. In the meantime though, we need to prepare you for what is to come. It will be a useful distraction to you in the meantime too" Eragon nodded. "Good, get some rest. We will start from tomorrow. I know you still may have some questions but use this time to think about all that you learnt and clear your head. I will answer anything you wish to the best of my ability tomorrow"

"Wait" Eragon said hoarsely. "Who is it? Who was Morzan's disciple?"

Markus looked at him closely before answering, "Aldor"

**AN: Finally! A chance to sit down peacefully and work on this. Sorry for the delay but yeah, I think they are to be expected now that I'm approaching finals week in college :( **

**First of all I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and I was kinda happy to see the messages demanding me to continue lol. Hope I did this properly, I didn't have enough time to read through this again since I wanted to get it done today. The next week is gonna be a nightmare so unfortunately I don't think I can update again until the week-end. **

**About this chapter, keep in mind that the story Eragon got from Markus is not entirely everything that happened, Markus is telling it the way he knows it so yeah…some things will have some holes in it and I will cover them as the story progresses onward. **

**Hm..another thing. Since I had too much work on my hands I only had time to read random stuff rather than write. I stumbled across some Harry Potter fics and I immediately loved the HarryxFleur pairing. I was getting really frustrated reading them and so far found only about 3 that I loved (I hate the stories where he gets two or three girls at the same time). There aren't many good ones on Harry and Fleur either. The ones that I really liked were unfortunately not updated in a long time and I don't have too much hope for updates :( (I will be adding them to my favorites list soon) So I did the only thing that I could do, I started my own! :D I will be uploading the new story today along with this chapter so I hope if there are any readers out there that like that pairing will check it out and let me know what you guys think of it. The title of it is 'His Angel' (don't ask me about the title, I suck at titles and summaries so I took the first suggestion a friend gave me xD) It will be a HarryxFleur story that will be centered around them mostly so expect a little to a lot of fluff :P. **

**Happy reading! **

**Peace out**


	15. Chapter 15

**Finally! Got some fresh new ideas to progress on with this story :D A big thank you to everyone that reviewed!**

**Enjoy :)**

**CHAPTER 13**

Murtagh slowly opened his eyes. Everything was white around him, but he felt a strange sense of calm settle over him. The sound of a woman singing softly reached his ears. It was a voice that he had almost forgotten over the course of time, yet it was a voice that he could recognize no matter where he went. He looked around and quickly set off in the direction of the voice.

"Mother?" He called to the white emptiness. The voice was slowly fading away. Panicked he broke into a run. "Mother!" he called, louder this time. In the distance he could see a darkened castle. He felt a chill run down his spine, he recognized the castle only too well. Ignoring his feelings of trepidation he ran faster, straight inside the castle. The voice was faint but it wasn't fading away now. Ignoring the dark and gloomy walls he ran up to the second floor, towards the room where he spent most of his childhood. He felt a familiar sense of dread when his eyes fell on the tyrant's room, feelings of menace reeking from it. He quickly walked past it and pushed open the door to his room.

"Mother…" He whispered. There, with tears in her warm brown eyes was none other than Selena. She looked as beautiful as he always remembered and she had the same smile that was reserved only for him.

"Murtagh" She murmured, making her way towards him. She wrapped her arms around him and he felt tears forming in his eyes. They stayed like that for a long while before she gently drew away from him studying his face. "How you have grown" She said with a smile. He chuckled softly.

"It has been a long time mother"

"Indeed it has. A lot has changed too hasn't it? My own son, a Dragon Rider" She said looking at him proudly. Her smile faltered, "Can you forgive me? For leaving you with him? Can you ever forgive me?" He could see tears forming again in her eyes. "I was going to come back for you, I promised myself I would come back for you…" She sobbed and he drew her back into his arms.

"It's okay" He whispered. She kept crying and he kept her in his arms while she calmed down.

"You are free now of his control now?"

"Yes" They were silent for a long time.

"I see you have found out about your lineage?"

"Yes, although there is a lot that doesn't make sense" She smiled at him.

"It will soon" She said. Then she came closer to him and placed her finger on his forehead. "Close your eyes" She whispered. He did and suddenly an image of a rock formation appeared in his mind.

"The Rock of Kulthian?" He breathed. She nodded.

"You hold the key to unlocking it my son, you and Eragon" She embraced him again before stepping backwards. "I promise I will see you again soon" She whispered.

"Wait! How will I know to find it? Eragon is gone too" He cried desperately. She only smiled reassuringly at him before she vanished. The castle around him seemed to melt away leaving only darkness and quite suddenly, he wasn't aware of anything anymore.

* * *

><p>It had been about a two weeks since Arya had returned to Ellesmera. When she had told Glaedr all that had happened he had taken the blow hard but she could tell he was hiding something, as if he was uncertain. No matter how much she and Saphira tried they could not get the Dragon to respond.<p>

Since she had gotten back, she had refused point-blank to meet her mother. She could not, would not forgive her for keeping Eragon away from her. She knew inwardly that she was to blame for pushing him away but that did not stop her from the cold disappointment she felt towards Islanzadi, that the elven queen herself would stoop so low as to use others to have her own way.

Aeraela had given Eragon what he needed the most; she had seen it in his eyes the way he had looked at her when before the battle. She had seen how happy both of them were and she was ashamed that she resented Aeraela for it, by seeing Eragon with Aeraela she saw what could have easily been hers. She also realized that her feelings for Faolin had long since faded away, the old wounds had been healed by Eragon, and even though she had kept refusing to see it, there was no one else she wanted to be with other than him.

Ever since she had arrived, she had been busy tending to Saphira. The blue Dragon had been spiraling further and further down a slow road to what can only be described as insanity. They could not see what to do to help her, the Dragon wouldn't let anyone other than Arya approach her and at times she would just blankly stare off into space for long moments at a time. When anyone attempted to get into her consciousness they found that it was not guarded at all, however, her mind was blank. Completely and utterly blank. It was like she was an empty shell at times. She would snap and suddenly go into a rage, displaying a monstrous strength that Arya had never seen in the Dragon, or any other Dragon for that matter. She was glad that they hadn't left Saphira back at the Varden, if they had, there wouldn't have been a Varden to return to. It took the strength of herself, Glaedr, Firnen and 12 of the elve's most accomplished spell weavers to bind the great Dragon down during one of her rages.

Arya tentatively approached Saphira with Firnen. She had gone into one of her rages earlier and she knew that most of her energy was gone. The Dragon was held down by the elven spell casters and she motioned for them to step away and release the binds.

_Are you sure Dröttningu? _One of them asked doubtfully.

_Yes, step away. Saphira will never willingly hurt us. _When they continued to look doubtful she added, _Firnen is with me_ to which Firnen gave a low growl making them step away. They hated the way that the elves were afraid for Saphira. Saphira, the Dragon that had given Alagaesia a ray of hope with her Rider to be treated like a monster was aggravating. None other than a Dragon and Rider could understand the pain of losing contact with their other half, a pain that Glaedr knew only too well and he himself expressed that had he still had his body, he wouldn't be in a better state than Saphira although he couldn't understand what was making Saphira behave like this. They knew Eragon was not dead, that should be enough not to send her over the edge but clearly it was not the case. Over the weeks Arya and Firnen's bond had developed a lot further and she couldn't even bear to think of what would happen if their bond was cut. She suppressed a gasp when she realized if Saphira was like this, how could Eragon be faring now? Especially after all that happened to him.

Saphira opened one eye and stared at Arya as she approached, this time her eyes didn't have an empty, dark look on them. They carried a hint of the brightness that she had before Eragon was taken and Arya knew that Saphira had recognized her. Firnen padded over to her, he was now as large as her. It seemed that male Dragons grow at a faster rate than females. He gently nuzzled his snout against Saphira's neck eliciting a small smile from Arya. She knew that her Dragon had been more worried, if not more than her over Saphira. She approached Saphira and pressed her head against Saphira's. She felt a familiar mind brush against her mind and let it in.

_Your alive _She said faintly. Arya felt a stab of fear at her heart when she noticed how weak her voice sounded.

_Of course I am Saphira_ Arya said gently stroking the Dragon's head. She closed her eyes at her touch and gave a mournful keen.

_Little one, there is something wrong…Saphira's mind is in turmoil and I caught brief glimpses of memories when I entered her mind _Firnen said urgently. He had taken to using Saphira's nickname for Eragon as his own for her.

Arya tentatively entered Saphira's mind, which was a swirling torrent of memories and images. Many of them sent chills to her spine; she caught a brief glimpse of the Ra'zac and an old man with greying hair, lying dead amongst the remains of a broken down house. She saw Brom dying while she looked down at him, he was saying something but there was no sound, she saw Aeraela, the silver haired elf's eyes gleaming brightly before they closed, rain falling around her. She then saw herself, a dagger protruding from her arm while she screwed her eyes shut.

The last image she saw shocked her to her core. The last image showed herself, lying face down on the ground in a pool of blood, Saphira and Firnen were both lying a few feet away from her with arrows embedded all over them. She jerked out of Saphira's mind breathing hard and fell backwards. The emotions she felt were threatening to tear her apart. She didn't speak for a while, staring at the blue Dragon trying to make sense of what she had seen. Firnen settled himself next to her and gently nuzzled his snout against her neck.

_Saphira…what's going on? _She asked eyeing the blue Dragon. She hadn't stopped her low keening and she noticed that the other elves had retreated away from them. _Saphira? _Arya asked again.

_It's not me _Saphira said softly. _It's my little one, he is…he is in constant pain. _Arya felt her her heart sink.

_What's wrong with him? _She asked trying and failing to keep the fear out of her voice.

_I can't tell, sometimes I can feel him but something is still preventing me from speaking to him. I feel what he feels, it was faint but it's been growing stronger. These…memories are all that I can feel through our bond. _Saphira said quietly. _I feel like I'm losing him, it's like he can't tell what's real and what's not. _

_The last memory? _Arya asked shakily.

_He fears it the most; whenever I see it I can feel his despair and anger. I fear that he sometimes believes we are dead…I feel like I am pulled into a void from time to time and I can't remember anything that happens from then on. _Saphira's voice carried a note of fear and desperation, something that Arya had never heard from the Dragon from all her time with her. She felt tears forming in her eyes, she understood now. They were all memories from Eragon, the raw emotions she felt while experiencing them almost made her lose her sense; it was like her mind was being assaulted again and again by loss after loss. She couldn't even begin to imagine how Eragon was now; when she was with him over the days after Aeraela died he had been so fragile.

_Is there nothing we can do? _Arya asked, trying and failing to keep the note of fear out of her voice. Her usually composed self was crumbling rapidly.

_I can't, I can't feel our bond now. When I do I can only see these wretched memories again. I know he is hurt; I can't bear not being able to help him. _Arya couldn't see what she could do anymore. She felt a tear run down her cheek and brushed it hurriedly and got back to her feet. She couldn't forget why she came here. Oromis had left Eragon the sword, he should have known something.

_Saphira I will be back, please let me know if you feel your bond resurfacing. _Saphira closed her eyes. Turning to the other elves she spoke directly to the leader of the group.

_Saphira doesn't have any more energy, let her recover and keep watch over her. Let me know when she awakens. _

_Yes Dröttningu _She quickly climbed on Firnen before she was interrupted by a messenger that came running up to them.

_Dröttningu, the Queen wishes to speak with you and requests your presence in her quarters. _Arya's eyes narrowed and growled startling everyone around her and making the messenger step backwards away from her, his eyes wide with fear.

_You may tell the Queen that I have far more important matters I must tend to _Firnen spread out his wings and pushed off the ground and they took to the skies. She sent a mental picture of Oromis's hut to Firnen who growled in acknowledgment.

_Little one, what if we don't find anything there _Firnen asked after a few moments.

_Then we get whatever it is Glaedr is hiding from us, by force if we have to _Arya said icily eliciting a small whimper from Firnen. Whatever reservations Arya had were gone. She couldn't let this go on; the fate of Alagaesia didn't matter anymore, all that mattered was getting Eragon back and it was clear time was running out. She didn't know what she hoped to find but it was the only place she knew to look.

As soon as they landed in front of Oromis's hut she quickly walked inside and pulled down all the books and scrolls that were packed in the shelves. Searching for anything, a clue, something that would show her what she wanted. She felt Glaedr try to talk to her but she threw up her mental barriers and cut him from contact. She was almost losing hope when she thought she felt a faint stream of energy coming from somewhere. She spread out her senses and concentrated until she could pin-point the exact location of the source. She bent down and among the mess of books she pulled out a rather large book and stuffed inside it were a couple of blank parchments. Puzzled she pulled them out and gasped when a sudden burst of energy emitted from them and the pages filled with writing in the Ancient Language. She recognized the writing easily as Oromis's. Catching sight of her name at the top she quickly unfolded all of them and began to read.

_I know that when you are reading this I am no longer in the world of the living. I also know that now, Alagaesia is rapidly approaching the darkest times it had seen and it is my deepest regret that I am not there to face it with everyone. The magic I sealed these scrolls with are tuned to you and you alone. I have always seen you as my daughter. I watched you grow up into one of the greatest warriors in Alagaesia. I only wish that you will be able to lead a happy life in the future and see Alagaesia return to what it was in the time of the Dragon Riders. I know that for both of them to be possible, it depends a great deal on my successor, Eragon. _

Arya's eyes widened in surprise and her defenses dropped, she didn't know what to think but she felt the pain of losing Oromis wash over her again, like an old wound that was opened. She quickly opened up the other scrolls and read on.

_We thought we were the first to form the pact with the Dragons, but we could not have been more wrong. Our beliefs, our perceptions, everything we had known about Alagaesia were wrong. It is not my place to tell you everything I know. Nor am I able to. The magic that binds this knowledge comes from the times before we even set foot in Alagaesia. _

_Before I decided to leave my sanctuary here and join the battle, I was approached by an old friend who I long believed to have passed onto the void. He has a unique gift; he showed me the future. As I am writing this, I know that I will die at the hands of Galbatorix when I join the battle. I know that you and Eragon have seen the Rider Aldor and his capabilities. I know that Eragon found a chance at happiness in his life. I know that his half-brother and his Dragon were able to break free of the Empire's clutches. I know that you are now a Dragon Rider. I know that Eragon had his happiness ripped from him. I also know that he is losing his state of mind. If nothing is done about it, he and Saphira will become the greatest danger that Alagaesia has ever known. _

_I love Eragon; he was the son I never had. I have seen his heart and I know he will never willingly give himself to the darkness that surrounds his heart, but there is only so much one man can suffer. Ever since he shouldered the burden of becoming a Dragon Rider he has seen only war and the pain of losing those he cared about. His inheritance only makes it harder for him, I have seen a glimpse of what he is capable of through his father when he gave into the same madness that is consuming Eragon when he lost Saphira and Selena. He was only able to bring himself back because of his son. Eragon doesn't have anything more to pull him back, at least that is what he believes. _

_Arya, I have watched over you your whole life. You and Eragon are not so different now. You both have lost those who you allowed into your hearts. When you and Eragon came into Ellesmera after your ordeal I noticed changes in you. I noticed the way Eragon would look at you. I can perceive your emotions far better than anyone can. I saw it when Eragon made his fairth of you. I admit, I was curious to see what would happen if he tried with you around. I was not disappointed. I saw the fear in your eyes, you are afraid to accept your feelings for him. After seeing what happened to Eragon, the only person who has a chance of giving him the happiness he had once is you. The only person he would accept that happiness from is you. The only person who can pull him back from his madness is you. _

_I have seen you finding these scrolls and reading them, unfortunately that is where my visions into the future come to an end. Eragon was taken by the very same person who showed me the future. I know that with the way Saphira's condition is, their time is running out. The reason to the progression of their condition is due to the added strain of being separated from each other. I believe that Eragon will be reunited with his Dragon before long, for the sake of their condition. Eragon is being trained by him for his own protection, if he is to have a hope of defeating Aldor and his army he will need all the help he can get. _

_I am proud of you. I enjoyed training you all those years and it gives me great happiness to see your dreams of being a Dragon Rider finally come true; my only disappointment is that I can't be there to offer you my guidance. When you reunite with Eragon do not let him get away. He needs you now, more than ever. Trust what your heart tells you. I hope in the end, you both will find happiness. _

_After I seal these scrolls, myself and Glaedr will lose any and all of our memories about what we have seen, that is the price we must pay for the knowledge we have gained. I gladly give it for it will give Alagaesia hope for survival and a chance for happiness for both of my students who I have come to see as my family. _

_May the stars watch over you._

_Oromis Thrándurin, Osthato Chetowä_

Arya couldn't stop the tears that were slowing falling from her eyes. He made his sacrifice and gave them hope. The rush of emotions and questions in her mind was too much for even her to bear and it was making her head pound. Closing her eyes she forced herself to calm, taking deep steadying breaths. She had so many questions, what was it that Oromis could not let her know? How had he seen everything? Who was it that showed Oromis what would happen? Now that she thought about it, the person who promised her that Eragon would not come to harm could very well be the same person that Oromis was talking about.

There was one thing that was clear though, from what Oromis said, Eragon was not going to be able to last much longer and neither was Saphira. She was going to have to trust in Oromis and believe that Eragon would be returned to them before it was too late. She didn't understand how she was going to be the one to help Eragon, but she was willing to do anything to get him back. Even before she read the letter that Oromis left her, perhaps from the moment she saw Eragon with Aeraela, she had realized that he was all she wanted. She loved him, and she would do anything to get him back at all costs.

_What now? _Firnen's voice suddenly echoed in her mind. She gave a start and noticed both Glaedr and Firnen's presence in her mind.

_I apologize for not being able to provide you with the answers you needed young one, but I only regained my memories of this letter after reading it. _Glaedr said before Arya could speak. She sent a mental nod to him.

_I understand Glaedr elda _She said. After a few moments she stood up and suddenly felt a foreign presence slam into her mental barriers eliciting a loud hiss from Firnen outside. Recognizing the presence as one of the elf messengers she wiped all thoughts from her mind and allowed him entrance.

_Yes? _

_Dröttningu,_ _the dark King's forces have begun their march towards the Varden, they request assistance. Galbatorix himself is joining the battle and they estimate it will be about a day and a half before the armies will meet. _Arya sealed her barriers again and hesitated for a second. She threw the scrolls in the fireplace and murmured _"Brisingr", _setting them on fire. She quickly ran climbed on to Firnen and he quickly pushed off, flying in the direction of the Queen's court. She quickly walked in, ignoring the guard who tried to stop her and threw open the doors and strode in where the Queen was deep in conversation with the council.

"My daughter…" She began looking up but Arya interrupted her.

"I assume you know the Varden are coming under attack?" She asked.

"Yes, we are mobilizing our forces as we speak" Relief flooded over her, she had been half expecting her mother to choose not to send aid to the Varden.

"I will be returning back to the Varden immediately, their forces are not enough to hold out until our armies get to them"

"What? No you cann…" Her mother began to speak but Arya again cut her off glaring at her to cries of astonishment from the elven lords in the room.

"I was not asking your permission, I was merely stating where I was going. I, Saphira and Firnen will leave right now" With that she turned and walked out ignoring her mother and climbed back onto Firnen. She quickly contacted Saphira and was pleased to find that she had recovered somewhat.

_Saphira, the Varden need help. The Empire's soldiers are going to launch another attack, this time with Galbatorix. I fear Murtagh and Thorn are going to be outmatched, we are returning to the Varden. Do you think you can make the journey? _

_Yes _Saphira said firmly.

_Don't worry, I can provide Saphira with the energy should she need it _Glaedr said. Arya quickly landed in front of Saphira and motioned for the weary spell weavers to step away. She could only hope that Saphira will not descend into her bouts of rage again but it was a risk they had to take. Arya wanted Saphira near her, she had a feeling she could offer Saphira some comfort. After freeing Saphira of her bonds, both Dragons took off into the skies. Along the way she let Saphira know about her letter. She didn't comment on any of it though, she remained silent mostly but she felt a slight sense of relief emanating from Saphira. Knowing that Eragon was safe, at least for now, was a comfort to the Saphira as well as her. And Oromis's letter had given both of them hope that Eragon would soon be back with them.

**AN: I apologize for taking such a long time to update this guys, to be honest, I was actually facing a little…writer's block? I had been rushing on ward to finally get my version of the history of Alagaesia out into the open and after that I had to spend some time thinking about how to proceed from there. That and my head was filled with ideas concerning my other story I have taken up. Safe to say that I have both stories planned out properly now :)**

**I can't wait to write up the next chapter, stuff is finally going to happen :D I have an idea that I think will surprise you guys, let's see if it goes well. I promise the next chapter will be more action packed, and longer. **

**Thanks again for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks a lot for the reviews guys :) Don't know what I'd do without em. **

**Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 14**

"Is that it?" A quiet voice murmured.

"Seems so" The man who answered stood up and eyed the moving mass of black under them. Men, horses, weapons, war machines littered the entire ground in below them. As far as they could see, the amount of soldiers was endless. Each and every one of them sporting the red symbol of the empire proudly on their armor, some have even engraved it onto their skins.

"So foolish" The same quiet voice muttered dully standing up next to him. "Humans are so easy to trick. They let themselves be ruled by their hearts rather than their minds." The figure turned sharply to him and caught his eyes in a piercing gaze. He shuddered, those steel grey eyes always unnerved him.

"Tell me again…why do we even care about the outcome?"

He narrowed his eyes at the figure. "So that when we die, we may pass on to the other side with a clear conscience, that we did not bring more races to extinction…is that sufficient?"

"Not from what I see."

He sighed, eyeing the army below. "Let us observe for now, I am curious to see how this will unfold. We will only intervene if _he _shows up. The King can do whatever for all I care."

"What about the son? I have seen his Dragon and the Elven Rider about a quarter of a mile away but I haven't been able to locate him at all."

"Really?" He asked, mildly surprised. "Most interesting…but what I do know is that unless he comes back, and with the way his Dragon's mental capabilities are failing, there will be no place for him to return to."

"So we observe for now?"

"We observe." They watched as the army disappeared from view, hidden by the rocky mountains. A distant roar echoed and they both looked up to see a black dot rapidly growing larger in the horizon.

"The drums of war…thunder once again." He murmured before they drew back, melding into the shadows.

* * *

><p>Murtagh urgently made his way through the camp. All around him the soldiers of the Varden were rushing to get their preparations made. Their eyes betrayed their fear. Even he was, for the first time of his life, afraid that they would lose. Before, he never let any thought about the outcome of the battle worry him. His will to stay alive gave him little else to think about.<p>

When they heard the news that the empire's army was coming, they did not know what to expect. Everything was thrown into chaos. No one was prepared for war, especially after the recent battle. The morale of the soldiers of the Varden was down, the absence of their hero was affecting them greatly. They did not trust him, the Red Rider at all even though Nasuada assured them otherwise and Murtagh couldn't blame them. None of them had the will to fight.

He wondered if it was better to remain ignorant of the enemy until they finally faced each other in the battlefield. The news that the empire's army had numbers that were large enough to almost cover the mountain range only served to rob the soldiers of their will to fight even more. If there was any remaining.

As if to add salt to their wounds, they were informed that the King himself was already on his way to join the battle. He knew he would have to be the one to face him, no he _wanted _to be the one to face him. It may have been Aldor that bound him, but Galbatorix was his tormentor. It was Galbatorix that hurt Thorn. He will pay.

He couldn't let Arya face him. He had seen her fight and he knew she was one of the deadliest warriors in Alagaësia with the blade and she would be evenly matched with him. But it wouldn't be enough against Galbatorix. For all the times he had been under Galbatorix's torment, he had carefully observed him. Learned of his thought patterns. What made a man like him into what he is. All for the hopes that one day, he could bathe Zar'roc in his blood.

_Saphira, Firnen and the Elf are approaching _Thorn said through their link. Murtagh felt a sense of relief wash over him. Perhaps this would restore some of the soldiers will to fight. Sure enough, an ear splitting roar sounded and the entire Varden camp started cheering loudly. He looked up to see Thorn and a little further away, Saphira and Firnen approaching.

The green Dragon took him by surprise. Firnen was quite a sight to behold. Long, streamlined, not as bulky as Thorn or rough around the edges. He had momentarily forgotten how fast male Dragons can grow.

_Who's rough around the edges? _Thorn asked indignantly and Murtagh could feel the mild anger flowing through their link. A smile tugged his lips.

_You are still the handsomest Dragon in this land to me my great big lizard _He said sincerely.

_Don't push it _Thorn warned but Murtagh could feel the affection flowing through their bond.

Saphira and Firnen landed in the middle of the camp and Arya quickly dismounted from Firnen. Murtagh looked curiously at Saphira. He couldn't explain it, but it seemed like Saphira had lost some of her gracefulness. When she fixed her eyes on him for a moment he almost took a step back.

Her blue eyes had always had a certain gleam about them, but it was gone. It was replaced by an icy look that Eragon himself had in the few days before he was taken. Her presence was, in one word, menacing. He noticed many of the soldiers back away from the blue Dragon.

Arya stepped towards him, "Was there any news of…?" He knew what she was asking.

"None." He replied. Saphira hummed sadly, it was a heart wrenching sound and Murtagh looked sadly at the Dragon. He turned back to the Arya and he was shocked at what he saw. Her normal emotionless mask was off. She looked vulnerable, almost fragile and her eyes dimmed visibly. She suddenly looked up and narrowed her eyes, her mask back in place.

"How much longer until the Empire reaches us?"

"The scouts estimated about another hour at most."

"Galbatorix?"

"About the same." She nodded and turned in the direction of Nasuada's tent.

"Arya…the King, I will face him alone." He said. She stiffened and turned around, he could see her eyes blazing with anger.

"If I refuse?" She asked icily.

"I can't stop you. I am asking you, let me face him. Given the size of the army we can't both afford to be occupied with him and Shruikan. There will also probably be some Shades mixed in with the army." He said, letting his voice take an edge. She gazed at him for a few moments before walking away, towards Nasuada's tent. He followed after her and entered Nasuada's tent where King Orrin, King Orik, Roran, the Varden commander and Nasuada were standing around the table, intently studying a map of the battlefield. They looked up as he and Arya entered.

"Arya, glad you made it back so fast." Nasuada said, her relief evident in her voice.

"Our army will reach us soon, and then we will be matched in numbers." Arya said to which she gave an approving nod. Orik wiped his brow and muttered something incomprehensible.

"How soon will they be here?" Orrin asked.

"The first battalion should be joining us before we engage the Empire. I spotted them approaching from the East just a few clicks away from here. The rest should reach us in about another two hours. Give or take." She added as an afterthought.

"We may have a chance then." Nasuada murmured. "Galbatorix…"

"I will lead him away from the battle. There is no sign of Aldor for now so that should give us an edge." Murtagh said. The tent went silent but no one spoke, they didn't exactly have any other options.

"Is that all then?" Orik asked, getting to his feet.

"Yes, there is nothing more we can do except to face them head on." Nasuada said quietly. The others nodded grimly and stood up. "Murtagh, please wait a moment." She said. He looked at her curiously and nodded. She waited until everyone was out before she looked up, concern evident in her eyes.

"Is there no other way?" She whispered.

"Yes." He said quietly. Nasuada walked slowly to him and awkwardly pulled him into a hug, shocking him. He could feel the amusement pouring through their link from Thorn. He slowly put his arms around her and returned the embrace. They stayed like that for a while before he broke away from her and walked to the entrance, stopping in front of it.

"Please, stay safe…for me." He murmured without turning around. He stepped outside and made his way to his tent. Picking up the bag containing Rënn and Roslarb's Eldunari he walked back outside and towards Thorn, securely tying the bag to Thorn's saddle. In terms of power from the Eldunari, he was hopelessly outmatched with Galbatorix. But he would much rather fight with them by his side than without.

They were going to try something though, from the moment he heard the news that Galbatorix and his army were approaching, he had sought advice from the Dragons. They would try to convince some of the Eldunari that Galbatorix was carrying to turn them against him. Both Rënn and Roslarb were two of the most ancient Dragons in Alagaësia and the other Dragons would surely open up to them.

They spotted the Elven army approaching and once again the camp burst into loud cheering. Murtagh estimated about 400 elves in total. While the Varden and the Dwarves outnumbered them he knew that those 400 elves were much more efficient than both the Varden soldiers and the Dwarves put together.

Nasuada and the other commanders walked through the ranks, finalizing the preparations. Their army had grown to an impressive size over the span of the last few hours. The Urgals, the Dwarves, the Humans, and finally the Elves made for an impressive formation. As the dark clouds of war gathered in the sky they had formed themselves in their ranks and were waiting in their end of the battlefield. The field was clear and they could easily see the Empire's army approaching from the horizon.

The scouts had not been exaggerating when they had said the Empire's army was large enough to almost cover the entire mountain range. Their army paled in comparison with the sheer size of the Empire's army. They would be entirely dependent on Saphira and Eragon's guards to whittle down the numbers and it was a welcome thought. Even a Dragon could only take so many soldiers.

Nasuada and Orrin were in front of the Varden army on their horses, surrounded by their guards. He mounted Thorn just as Arya got onto Firnen. Saphira was standing next to them, low growls emanating from her. The Empire's army came to a halt, about half a mile in front of them. Murtagh stiffened when he spotted two dark shapes in the sky, rapidly approaching them.

He recognized Shruikan and another creature that strangely resembled a Dragon. Black smoke hiding it from view except for its jaws and empty sockets. He recognized one of the Shades riding on it. Both of them landed on the ground in front of the Empire's army. The creature the Shade was riding snarled viscously and lifted its wings.

"We meet at last, commander of the Varden." Galbatorix said loudly, "I commend you on leading the rebel forces for so long, I can offer you a chance. Join the Empire and everything will be forgiven, your army will be given a full pardon and you will have a position of power within my ranks. If you refuse however, you will all be wiped out along with those creatures." He said, waving his hand towards the Elves, Urgals and the Dwarves.

"We will never join you Galbatorix." Nasuada said, just as loudly. The Varden army roared in approval and drew out their swords as did the Empire. The Elven archers at the front took aim while the three Dragons roared to which the Shruikan answered.

"So be it. I see that the last egg has hatched, it makes no difference however. You will fall." Galbatorix said. "And what of you traitor? I offer you the same option. Perhaps I will take you back without punishment."

"Like hell I will coward." Murtagh roared as Thorn bellowed. He drew out Zar'roc just as Shruikan and the dark Creature took to the air. The Empire's army rushed towards them just as the archers fired their arrows.

_Now! _Murtagh growled and Thorn took flight, speeding straight towards Galbatorix while Arya and Firnen sped straight towards the Shade and his creature. Below Saphira roared and dove straight into the Empire's army, cleaving her way through their ranks.

Thorn crashed straight into Shruikan in mid-air and bit down hard on the black Dragon's neck making it snarl. Murtagh brought his sword up just in time to block Galbatorix's sword. Shruikan's tail suddenly curved around and slammed into Thorn making him release his neck. The momentum carrying them away from the battle on the ground.

_Ready Thorn? _Murtagh asked as he felt energy pouring into him from Rënn and Roslarb. He needed to incapacitate Shruikan as soon as possible. Shruikan was much bigger than Thorn and if the battle was kept in the air, they would inevitably lose. Thorn sensed what he was planning and he felt the approval emanating through their link.

Shruikan roared and sped towards them. He could see Galbatorix, his face stretched in a maddened grin. Thorn roared again and sped towards the black Dragon while Murtagh hurriedly fortified the wards guarding Thorn's body, placing layer after layer before they crashed into each other again.

Thorn latched onto Shruikan with his claws and Galbatorix's eyes widened in surprise. Murtagh dodged the swipe he took at his head and dove his sword straight into Shruikan's chest. His sword easily went through, breaking through the weak wards as his sword flared red with the energy he was feeding into it.

"Galbatorix, you are too overconfident for your own good." Murtagh growled before he placed he palm right next to his sword on Shruikan's chest. Immediately he felt a burst of energy surge through him, far more than he could have thought possible.

_Use it _A new voice entered him mind and just when he was thinking he couldn't possibly hold more energy than this, it flared to new heights. It was painful and he needed a release.

"_Jierda!" _He shouted. With a sickening crack Shruikan was blasted backwards, away from them. Galbatorix's snarl was drowned by Shruikan's roar of pain. The force of the blast was too much for Thorn to handle and they hurtled to the ground. Before they crashed Thorn wrapped his wings protectively around Murtagh, shielding him. The crash shook him badly, Thorn whimpered and Murtagh quickly pushed himself to his feet.

Thorn's wing was broken, it had turned completely the other way around and he could see his Dragon was struggling for breath. A few feet away from them he saw the hulking mass of the black Dragon. "No…Thorn!" Murtagh screamed. He could see a gaping hole underneath Thorn's injured wing, blood streaming from it. He placed his hand and urgently poured all the energy he could into the spell, trying to heal him.

"That took me by surprise boy. You will pay for that you little mongrel." He tore his eyes away from Thorn to look at Galbatorix who was standing, holding his gleaming white sword with an expression of fury on his face. He saw that Shruikan wasn't moving at all and felt a pang of sympathy for the Dragon pass over him. He was after all, forced into servitude like him. "You're Dragon will die too, I will make sure of that." Galbatorix snarled.

He could feel Thorn's mind slipping away from him and without a second thought he completely ignored Galbatorix and focused once again on healing Thorn. He felt movement next to him and he had just grasped his sword, bringing it up to block Galbatorix's own just in time. Suddenly, a white hooded figure materialized next to him and immediately he felt a gigantic flux in magic as Galbatorix moved out of the way, rapidly backwards as the ground trembled beneath them and opened, leaving a gaping crater separating Galbatorix from them.

Murtagh grabbed his sword and made to stab at the figure but a hand closed around his hand. He remembered the voice as the same foreign presence he felt in his mind moments before he was infused with energy. _I will take care of your Dragon, you have to face Galbatorix. _The voice spoke in the Ancient Language. It was feminine and somewhat familiar. Murtagh only had a few seconds to decide. For some reason he felt he could trust her and nodded his assent. _Trust me _the voice said reassuringly and before his eyes Thorn and the figure disappeared in a white flash.

He felt Rënn and Roslarb fueling him, replenishing his energy. That alone comforted him that Thorn was alright and wasn't far away from him seeing as the Eldunari were with Thorn.

_Kill the dark King Murtagh, Thorn is alright. _Rënn's gentle voice calmly sounded in his mind. He tightened his grip on Zar'roc and circled around the crater as Galbatorix did the same. Murtagh could see that the King was knocked off track by the current turn in events, his normal maniacal grin absent. Replaced by an expression of fury.

Without warning the King lunged at him and Murtagh brought his sword up again to block it. Sparks flew at the point of contact and Murtagh felt a surge of savage pleasure course through him. His initial worry about the battle, Aldor and Thorn vanished leaving him with only one thought. To bury his sword in the heart of the man that was in front of him.

* * *

><p>Eragon was kneeling on the ground. The pain was getting too much for him to bear. Feelings of bloodlust and rage were coursing through him. He kept getting flashes of images in his mind and sensations of pain. He knew that the Varden were fighting at that moment and he desperately wanted to join the battle. Saphira was getting hurt and that was fueling his rage even more.<p>

"Eragon I can't let you go like this." Markus said worriedly, crouching next to him.

"I can't…I feel them_. _They're taunting me. They're going to kill them." Eragon growled as flashes ghastly images of his Dragon lying dead on the ground filled his mind again. He saw Arya lying on the ground. Her eyes glassy, no trace of life in them.

_What are you going to do Eragon? You know what you see is inevitable. We will be there. We will take their lives away from them. _A voice taunted in his mind. He gave an anguished yell when he saw Aeraela's horrific apparition fill his mind, blocking everything else.

_Are you going to watch them die as you did with me? _She whispered.

"Eragon…" Markus said shaking him. Eragon punched the ground hard, steeling his defenses on his mind, blocking out everything. Once the images faded he looked up, gasping slightly.

"Let me go, I can feel them. Aldor is coming as are the others. They will not be able to stand up to them." Eragon said, getting up onto his feet. "Please. I can't let them die." Eragon said, his voice breaking.

"Eragon, I will not lie to you. I was wrong, we couldn't keep you safe from the constant mental assaults they are putting you through. The way you are now, both you and Saphira will be consumed by your emotions and give into them. We will not be able to pull you back." Markus said quietly.

"If they die Markus, it will make no difference. I don't know how much longer I can keep the demons in my mind at bay." Eragon said, tapping his head with his finger. "Let me go. But I need you to promise me something." Markus raised his head, looking at him questioningly.

"When I…turn, I want you to promise me that you will end my life right then and there. You and Sona should be able to do it. Don't give me a chance to get away from you. You and I both know what I am capable of when I lose control. I…don't want to continue living through this hell anymore. I don't want to see myself become the monster of Alagaësia."

"It will all be for naught Eragon. What we fought for, what your father fought for. It will all be for nothing. " Markus said, shaking his head.

"No. Removing us permanently is the best way. It will disrupt their plans. Everything they have been trying up till now will be for naught. I trust in my brother and Arya. Seek them out and join forces with them."

"Eragon, I can go in your place. I am certain I can protect them from harm."

"What of Saphira? I don't want her to die…I don't want her to get dragged down with me. She is everything I have left." Eragon's eyes filled with tears, betraying his emotions. "I…I will terminate our bond as a Rider and Dragon."

"Eragon…there has to be another way." Markus said, almost pleading. He looked up at the elder man, the man who he had come to trust as much as he had Oromis.

"I can feel it. Even right now I am having a hard time suppressing my urge. I won't last until we reach the Vault of Souls…wherever it is. Even if by some miracle we did, we don't know if it will be of any help. Once I terminate my bond with Saphira there will be nothing I can hold onto. Please, promise me that I will not live to see myself become a monster." Eragon said softly. "I tried to find something that I find worth fighting for. I can only see Saphira. She is all that I can live for. I can't afford to lose her too, nor will I let her suffer for being bonded to me. Please…you are the only one I can trust to do this."

Markus regarded him silently. He could see the sadness and concern etched in the older man's eyes. "No matter what Eragon, remember that you are, and never will be a monster. I promise you, I will not let you go through that pain." He smiled sadly at him, "It was an honor to train the greatest warrior our race had ever seen."

Eragon managed a light smile before he got up, strapping Brisingr and Fuin on his back. "I am happy I got the chance to train under you and Sona. I won't forget everything you both have done for me." He activated his ring which was given to him by Markus a few days ago, when he was near to completing his training and closed his eyes as he felt the air around him compress, pressuring him from all sides.

* * *

><p>Markus watched as Eragon disappeared from view. His usually composed self was falling apart rapidly. How could they have not seen any of this coming? He had been too optimistic about Eragon's mental stability. When they had realized that Eragon was kept under strain from the continuous attacks on his mind it had been far too late. He was a man that had lost too much over a short space of time, one after the other.<p>

It was sickening, to think that they had only brought him up over the past month just so they could slaughter him in cold blood after he had done his part. It was too soon. No one had been prepared for them to be attacked by an army of such a large scale. The Varden were a rallying point for all races. If it was obliterated, there would be no stopping the Empire. None of the Grey folk would sit back and let this battle carry on without them intervening.

None of these worries could drown out his feelings of guilt and self-loathing. He had failed to protect Eragon. The one thing he had promised Brom, he had failed. Taking a deep breath, he activated his ring and followed after Eragon. He knew Sona was not going to take too kindly to Eragon's decision.

* * *

><p>Arya was fairing quite well against the Shade and his dark creature. Although she and Firnen didn't have nearly enough experience fighting together, they were still able to sense the other's intentions and thereby string together a formidable attack. However, one thing worried her greatly.<p>

The Shade was weak. Both the Shade and the dark creature could not stand up to any of her and Firnen's assaults. It was a game of the hunter and the HUNTED as the creature sped away from them as Firnen chased after it. After the initial bouts, the Shade had realized that he had no hope in defeating Arya, especially after she had stabbed dangerously close to his heart just a few seconds ago.

Below them the battle was escalating into new levels of ferocity. The Empire's soldiers were endless. No matter how many were slain there was always another that would take his place. To make matters worse it seemed that some of them were the painless kind. This was causing a great deal of confusion with the Varden soldiers. No one knew what to expect, the painless kind would just get back up when everyone thought they were dead and attack with renewed vigor and with those that fell dead, they were too cautious to advance onward in their fear that they would rise again. The Varden were getting pushed back and their numbers were dwindling. The Empire seemed to have an endless supply of reinforcements.

Saphira was in the middle of the battle, her body covered with numerous scratches and wounds. Blodhgarm and the rest of the Elven guard were doing their best to keep the protective wards around the Dragon up but Arya knew that if this was kept up, they would run out of energy sooner or later. Saphira never responded to any of their warnings no matter how many times Arya kept trying to reach the Dragon to make her fall back.

Pulling her thoughts away from the battle below she growled and concentrated on the Shade which was still flying away in its pitiful attempt to stay away from her. She needed to finish this fast and join in on the battle below. She had been conserving her energy for later but this was getting too out of hand. Once the rest of the Elven forces reached them they would be once again matched, hopefully.

She sent Firnen her plan to finish off the Shade to which he answered with a low growl. Tightly gripping Firnen's neck she bent low as Firnen climbed higher to the sky. After a few seconds in which they floated almost weightlessly in the air he folded his wings and they dived straight for the black mass a few feet below them. The Shade looked up and gave an unearthly scream and the creature swerved out of the way as Firnen flew straight past them. The Shade had only a few seconds to react before his eyes widened in surprise as a sword plunged straight through his heart and his eyes shifted up to meet Arya's gleaming orbs as he was pushed off his creature and both he and Arya sped towards the ground. She had leapt off Firnen at the last moment, diving straight for the Shade. Firnen had been only a distraction.

Still falling in mid-air Arya planted her feet on the Shade's body and pushed, freeing her sword and Firnen snatched her up in his talons, none too gently. The dark creature the Shade had been riding fell directly into a heap of the Empire's soldiers, crushing them. A loud cheer of approval rang through the battlefield as the Varden pushed harder, emboldened by Arya's success.

_Never do something as reckless as that again _Firnen growled as he set her down on the ground and landed beside her. She managed a small smile before she climbed back onto her Dragon. She was just thinking about trying to find Murtagh and Galbatorix when she felt Blodhgarm push against her mental barriers and she immediately let him through.

_Dröttningu, Saphira will not answer our words. We can't sustain our wards for much longer! _Panic filled her as Firnen took off right after hearing Blodhgarm's words. He sped straight to the middle of the battle where Saphira was, snarling like a feral animal. Her claws bathed red and a number of arrows imbedded in her body. But still she would not stop, the entire area around her was littered with heaps of bodies and still more of the Empire's soldiers were going straight for her.

_Saphira! Get back! _Arya screamed at her, ramming against Saphira's mental defenses. They gave way easily and she realized with dread that she couldn't feel the Dragon at all. It was once again empty. As soon as she reached the Dragon however, the Empire's soldiers suddenly drew back as a white hooded figure emerged from the behind them. Saphira went unnaturally still as she hissed and backed away. Arya slowly dismounted, gripping her sword tightly as Firnen growled.

"Well hello there, princess."

* * *

><p>Galbatorix snarled as Murtagh sidestepped yet another attack. Murtagh was almost at his end now, he had managed to keep trading blows with Galbatorix up till now but he was close to the end. The Dragons that had been helping him had expended much of their energy to supply Murtagh and they were now running out of options.<p>

"What have you done you filthy mongrel?" Galbatorix yelled as he lunged again at him.

Murtagh blocked the strike and murmured _"Brisingr", _bathing his sword in crimson flames making Galbatorix back away immediately. Galbatorix was staring at him, his face contorted in fury. "Why are you still able to use magic?"

Murtagh smirked which seemed to enrage Galbatorix further. "Why…I do not know whatever it is you are talking about." His plan was working. The key to any battle of blades was concentration. The moment one loses his concentration, allows themselves to be agitated, thinks about anything other than their opponent, is the moment that he signs a death warrant. Murtagh knew exactly what was going on and he was enjoying watching the King suffer.

Galbatorix knew the name, the name of the Ancient Language. A little while ago he had used it, and stopped the magic from flowing around them. Although Murtagh was faster with his blade, Galbatorix was far stronger. He thought that by stopping the use of magic he could put himself at an advantage. He could not have made a worse move.

Murtagh didn't really understand how…or why. He lost all hope when he recognized the word and the flow of magic just seemed to disappear from around them. He was not prepared however when he felt the familiar flow of magic, increase in his body. Strengthening him. He understood now. Magic was a part of him which could never be erased.

On the King's part, he had spent more energy than he realized by using the name. He also realized that his steady stream of energy was getting cut over the course of time. He couldn't feel the Ancient Dragons anymore to siphon off their energy. He more than enough left to keep him going but the fact that he was losing them was terrifying him. Him, the Rider who struck down the leader of Vroengard himself!

_Murtagh, you must seek a way to end this. We cannot free anymore of the King's Eldunari anymore, he has realized it and he has strengthened the binds on the remaining ones. We can't reach them anymore. _Roslarb's deep voice rumbled through their link.

He knew that he couldn't let this go on any longer. Galbatorix was being more cautious now and he had stopped underestimating him. Even though Galbatorix had failed to deprive him of his magic, the playing field was still even, if not tipped in favor of Galbatorix.

"_Deloi!" _Murtagh yelled, surprising Galbatorix as the Earth beneath him gave way, temporarily unbalancing him. Murtagh lunged at him, focusing all his energy into his limbs and began a flurry of attacks, chaining one after the other, forcing Galbatorix back.

"_Jierda" _Galbatorix growled and he jumped away from him as Galbatorix's free hand which was glowing slightly missed his midsection by inches. But he was not going to let Galbatorix have a chance to counter attack. Putting on a huge spurt of speed by directing the energy flow to his legs he closed the distance again and rammed as hard as he could with his foot at Galbatorix's leg. Galbatorix's muffled grunt of pain was all he needed to know that he made contact as he brought his sword from the side as fast as he could. Galbatorix had already recovered and his sword was there, blocking its path. A deafening clang echoed as the swords made contact but Murtagh gritted his teeth and pushed against the recoil, forcing Galbatorix's sword aside. Stepping past him he swung his sword back in its path but was met with nothing but air as Galbatorix jumped away from. As he did, Murtagh felt a searing pain on his back as he realized Galbatorix had managed to damage his exposed back with magic as he felt the burning sensation threaten to incapacitate him.

_GIVE ME EVERYTHING THAT'S LEFT _He yelled at the Dragons, he couldn't let Galbatorix distance himself again, especially with this wound. He felt a gigantic flux of energy fill him but he knew this was the last amount he could get. He transferred more than half of the energy into Zar'roc which gleamed red and swiped sideways at Galbatorix which was immediately met with his sword but not with as much resistance, just as he hoped.

The sword cracked as the red blade embedded itself into the crack as Galbatorix realized what was happening and pulled his sword away. Murtagh pulled his sword away too but Galbatorix was faster as he struck back, wildly at his midsection. Murtagh screamed in pain as the blade cut through his flesh but he couldn't let it stop him, he hadn't even noticed that the wards he had placed on himself were gone.

"You underestimated me." He growled before pouring every last bit of energy into his blade which gleamed brightly and stabbed with all the speed he could muster at Galbatorix. The sickening squelch that followed told him it met its target. When he looked up, he found himself staring at the man who caused him so much pain. His eyes were widened in surprise. Murtagh could feel the last bit of his strength leave him as he collapsed. A few seconds later he heard a thud as something dropped to the ground. Forcing himself to open his eyes, he looked up to find Galbatorix lying spread eagled on the ground, Zar'roc standing upright on his chest, still gleaming with the infused energy.

* * *

><p>Arya dropped to her knees. Firnen slumped forward, unconscious. Saphira was whimpering in pain, her wings broken. Three of the hooded figures had emerged. It proved too much for them to handle, her arm was broken, her sword was lying on the ground. She didn't have any strength left in her to pick it up.<p>

The fighting still went on, oblivious to what was happening. The Empire's soldiers just kept coming. One of the hooded figures walked over to her and viciously kicked her as Saphira roared.

"What shall we do with this?" The one nearest to her asked casually.

"Kill her. That's all we came for." Another answered. She didn't have any energy left in her to move, let alone stand. She heard the metallic clink of a sword and closed her eyes. Seconds passed until she heard the sound of three objects drop to the ground. A hand came to her shoulder and she tensed, a familiar scent reached her senses and she could hardly dare to believe it. The hand was gentle and another cupped her cheek and she felt the pain slowly vanish. She opened her eyes slowly and turned in the direction of the touch and found herself staring at a pair of mismatched eyes. One gleaming violet and the other a cold shade of brown. She saw the lips curve into a small smile.

"I'm sorry I was late." The voice sounded hollow, but it was his voice. The voice that she yearned to hear for so long since he was taken. She couldn't stop the tears that formed in her eyes, her self control had deserted her. She felt his hand brush away the tears as they stared at each other.

"I knew you would be back the Elf." A voice broke the silence. He stood up and she strained, looking for the source of the voice. There were 12 hooded figures standing around them. She looked back at him and was shocked to see him standing unarmed. His swords lay on the ground beside her.

_Arya…_Saphira's voice entered her mind. She stiffened immediately. Saphira sounded broken, despair pouring through. The joy at being reunited with her Rider was not there. _Arya, Eragon…he _Saphira couldn't seem to go on and she instead focused on looking up at him. He was still standing there, unmoving. All of the sudden, he moaned in pain. At that moment, two of the hooded figures dropped to the ground like rocks and in their place a man and a woman stood.

"What is the meaning of this?" The same voice from before asked. Almost immediately an inhuman roar echoed loudly throughout the field, bringing an unnatural silence as the fighting stopped. She looked at Eragon and saw that his face had gone slack, his eyes had taken a vacant look.

He raised his hand up, palm stretched outwards as they all stared at him. As he did, the hooded figures that were remaining suddenly disappeared from around them. Arya stood up as screams of fear echoed throughout the battlefield. She turned back to see the Empire's soldiers, every single one of them had at least three intricately formed blades floating around them, just inches in front of them. She turned back to Eragon who still wasn't moving, a few moments passed silently before he suddenly clenched his hand and screams of pain broke the silence as Arya turned to see the blades plunge, blood spurting outward. Further away from them she could see the rest of the army retreating. The ground was covered with corpses. A little way away she could see Nasuada, Orik, Orrin, Roran and her mother standing with shocked expressions on their faces. Somehow, the battle was over.

"Do it." Eragon's quiet voice reached her ears as she turned back to see him standing with his head bent forward, hiding his face from view.

"Eragon…" The woman whispered. Arya could see the woman had tears sliding down her face while the man beside her had a distraught expression on his face.

"Please…I can feel it. They are taking over my defenses; I don't know how much longer I can hold them back." Eragon whispered. "Kill me before I turn."

As the man and woman stepped closer to him Arya moved to stand in front of Eragon. Ignoring them she turned to him.

"Arya, get away from me." He said, his voice sounded panicked and he tried to move away but she caught hold of his wrists and held him in place.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"Please." His voice sounded weak. His breath was coming in brief gasps now. "Kill me. I can't..."

"Why should you die?" She asked him softly.

"Arya, I don't want to hurt you…please. I can't hold on much longer." His voice was breaking. Everything was making sense, she could see the internal struggle taking place in his eyes. His light brown eye was losing its color and she could feel Eragon slipping away, his consciousness fading.

"I can't let you go." She whispered, making him look at her, his eyes widened in surprise. He looked like he was struggling with himself, the man and woman behind her were as still as statues. He closed his eyes and she could see his face etched with pain.

"It hurts." He whispered. The pain behind his voice almost tore her apart, he was looking for a release from what he was going through.

"Eragon, we will face it together. I can't and will never let you go again." Her voice was shaking, she needed to let it out in the open. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him again. He opened his eyes again and she could see a few tears glistening in his eyes. He looked fragile, it looked like he was standing on the edge and all it would take was a gentle prod to send him over.

"Why?" He asked, she could detect a note of hope mixed in with the pain and despair in his voice.

She needed to make him believe. She couldn't leave any trace of doubt in him. She had been far too convincing before and she needed to right the wrongs she had done and finally be honest with herself. Switching to the Ancient Language she leant closer.

"_Because I need you."_ He looked shocked and she almost smiled. She finally uttered the words that freed the weight that had been weighing down on her heart ever since she they had parted ways during the time they had first been in Ellesmera, _"I love you."_ Closing her eyes she leaned closer, eliminating the distance between them and pressed her lips against his as a feeling of immense contentment spread through her.

**AN: Finally….another thing I had been itching to get done in this story. **

**I know I left a lot of questions unanswered but rest assured they will all…lemme rephrase, most of it will be answered in the next chap so yeah…something to look forward to? :D**

**On another note, I'm sorry I took some time to get this up. College ended only last week for us and I had to get a darn research paper turned in. And right after that well…celebrations ensued. **

**I can't promise when the next chapter will be up, I actually had to spend about 3 whole days writing this : This story has reached a point where I can't just sit down and make it up as I write lol. **

**With that said, I hope this came out well. **

**Till next time then :) Thanks for reading!**


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